Art of Love
by Red Courage
Summary: Miaka is asked to regather her reincarnated Seishi and summon Suzaku again. With one small catch. The rules have changed and the summoning ceremony is going to require her to get close to each and every one of her Seishi. Very close. Chapter 7: The night of the concert has finally arrived...
1. Chapter 1

Ai no Ato

Chapter One

_Miaka._

The voice murmuring her name sounded familiar; melodic and soft, but still husky enough that there was no mistaking the masculine timbre. Hearing it sent shivers up her spine and made her heart ache with deepest longing. She knew that voice. Knew it like the way she knew her own face. And yet, despite her visceral reaction, she couldn't quite place to whom it belonged or where she'd heard it before.

When gentle hands grasped her shoulders, she offered no resistance; her hands lifted to cover them with the tenderness reserved for those who were nearest and dearest to her heart. Smiling, she squeezed the hands lovingly, knowing that beneath the lily white skin lay a strength that could crush boulders. Her heart expanding with trust and a feeling she could only describe as love, Miaka leaned back into a lean chest and turned her head, curious to see the face of the person who held her.

Before she could get even a glimpse, the air flickered and the hands on her shoulders shifted shape, became rougher, more manly, and she found herself pressed flush against a very naked chest that was considerably more well defined in musculature than the one she'd been lying against previously.

_Miaka._

Her name was whispered fiercely, and lips brushed her ear with barely restrained fervor while the hands left her shoulders to allow solid arms to wrap possessively about her waist. Miaka was not alarmed by the change, but caught up in wondering as hands began their foray across her body while her lover's face burrowed into the soft juncture of her neck and shoulder.

Try as she might, she couldn't suppress the moan that escaped her as intrepid lips forged a trail from her neck towards her aching breasts. When had her shirt disappeared? She squirmed, her own hands curling into his shirt when those lips latched onto her, her lover's nose lightly indenting her breast as he suckled, his hands traversing ever lower as their shared passion heightened. Her heart thudded as his searching hands drew ever closer to her most secret place.

Her lover's voice changed mid-groan, sounding deeper and more gravelly as her own hands began a quest for exposed skin. Her fingers dug into soft locks of hair, tightening when rough fingers found her sensitive opening. Her own voice seemed much higher in pitch than normal as fire blazed wherever he touched.

_Miaka._

The harsh and raspy tone made her toes curl with excitement and her heartbeat quicken against sweat slicked flesh. Somehow along the way both their clothes had vanished and she could feel him pressed against her in desperate want. One arm that had held her close slid up to lie across her back, gripping her shoulder to ardently cup her against himself.

Her breath came faster as the heat between them swelled, the tangible energy ballooning into an inferno as he entered her in one smooth, swift motion. She'd always heard it would hurt, but she felt no pain- only the intense desire to be one with her lover as her hips began to move zealously in time to his eager thrusts.

Miaka's eyes clenched shut as her lover filled her completely, allowing himself free reign over her as she clung to him for dear life. Just when she thought she might burst, her lover sighed, his body relaxing and his voice softening into a muted tenor as he murmured nonsense phrases into her ear.

_Miaka._

Her name passed his lips, uttered this time like some sort of divine entreaty, and the sheer emotion in his voice shook her very core. Unthinking, she gripped the silken bed sheets with whitened knuckles, her back arching with her lovers steady movements. The motion pressed her breasts flat against his chest so she could feel his heart beating in tandem with her own. Lean hands threaded into her hair as he increased his pace and it wasn't long before every muscle in her body seemed to contract at once. She threw her head back with short gasping breaths as she felt her body begin to shake. A cry of ecstasy was cut short as her lover swiftly covered her lips with his own and swallowed her cries of passion as he brought her to climax.

Several moans escaped her between heated kisses, wordless encouragement to her lover to languidly continue thrusting as his frame shuddered with release. Still high from her orgasm, her blood was singing with warmth and pleasure as she slowly relaxed. In the dim light, she tried to catch a glimpse of her lover- a hint of the color of his eyes or hair or even a recollection of his name.

She frowned. Why couldn't she remember his name?

Her lover, however, seemed content to distract her by leaving a trail of kisses from her ear to her shoulder.

As if by some sort of magic, his voice seemed to belong to several people as one as he whispered: Wo Ai Ni.

* * *

The shrill abruptness of the alarm had Miaka's eyes flying open and her heart flying into near cardiac arrest. She sat straight up with a gasp that was half panic and half dazed pleasure. The sight of sun streaming in through her half-cracked blinds was unwelcome at best. She cast a muddled look about the rumpled sheets for her lover only to realize the entire thing had only been another disconcertingly realistic dream.

She looked down, and her face grew hot at seeing the state of her obviously aroused body. She _definitely_ needed a shower before she went to meet Keisuke, Yui, and Tetsuya for brunch.

Idly shutting off the alarm clock, she pondered the latest offering of her subconscious. It was exciting to have such a vivid imagination, but she was beginning to grow concerned with the increasing frequency of these recurring dreams. It wasn't normal to dream about sex so much was it? Especially not sex with people whose faces you couldn't see or remember. Miaka ran a hand through her slightly sweaty hair and sighed as the last vestiges of sensation from the dream dissipated. The last time she'd felt anything like the connection she had with her dream lovers had been in the Universe of the Four Gods.

Green eyes narrowed, then widened as the time on the clock registered. Apparently her alarm had been going off for a while- she _should_ have been up half an hour ago! Redness returned to her face and she wryly congratulated her dream lovers for being so good that she hadn't noticed her alarm blaring in her ear for a full thirty minutes.

It was time to wake up, literally and figuratively. Five years had passed since she'd exited the book world, three since she'd stopped having exclusively romantic thoughts about Tamahome, and seemingly forever since she'd felt like a complete person. Shaking hands came up to twine into her hair. For God's sake, it was time to just let it go! Her role as priestess was done and over with. She'd summoned Suzaku, granted her wishes, and saved both her own world and Konan. Why did her thoughts continue to linger with the people she'd met within the pages of that book when there was nothing left for her to do?

Or was there?

It was true that seeing her Seishi all together again in the battle against Nakago had awoken something inside of her; a growing need to ensure that each and every one of them was the happiest they could possibly be. Each and every one of them had given up so much to join her and to bring peace to their country and she'd given them nothing in return.

If only she could have helped her Seishi create everlasting happiness for themselves. At the very least she wanted to see them all once more; her heart gave a painful twinge at the idea her beloved warriors existed only in her memories now. In the five years since she'd last seen them, she had relived every moment spent with all of them, and her feelings for them had deepened from devotion into… something else. Miaka couldn't quite name the feeling. She just knew that it was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. She missed them; All of them. So very much.

Swallowing hard and wiping at her suspiciously damp eyes, Miaka at last threw herself out of bed and staggered towards the bathroom. A good shower never failed to help her clear her head.

Keisuke had told her often that she needed to stay more focused on the here and now, and she was beginning to agree with him.

As dear as the memories of her Seishi were, unless she was given an opportunity to do something about it, she was going to have to move on with her life. None of her warriors would want her to spend the rest of her life worrying over them. They would want, and insist, that she take the dragon by the horns and be happy.

The pipes took a moment to heat up, dowsing her with cold water and effectively shocking her the rest of the way awake. Once the water was a decent temperature, Miaka took the fastest shower of her life. Moments later, she hurriedly dried her hair, dressed herself, and shot out the door after applying the minimum of eyeliner and mascara.

* * *

_I am so late. So. So. So late! _ Keisuke was gonna kill her. And if he didn't, Yui most certainly would! Miaka hurried along the street, dodging the other pedestrians with a grace born of necessity. As she ran, her thoughts circled back to the mysterious lover in her dreams that morning. Why had this dream affected her so strongly? She'd had sex dreams before. What girl hadn't? But did other people's dreams become so intense? Was it normal to feel such a deep connection for someone whose face you couldn't see?

Lost in her thoughts, Miaka lost her grip on her purse. Luckily, it missed landing in a puddle and fell safely out of foot traffic. Muttering at her clumsiness, she halted and turned on her heel to retrieve her lost bag.

As her hand closed around her purse, a loud crack pierced the air. The sound of rending steel sent a chill down her spine as she straightened, glancing about to see what could make a sound like that.

A car crash? A quick perusal of the street made it clear that hadn't been the cause. Several gasps and a high pitched scream drew her attention as a few pieces of mortar pelted the sidewalk by her feet.

Blinking, Miaka turned her face upwards and felt her heart give a sharp thud of sheer fright as she saw a fourteen foot high billboard falling straight towards her. She told herself to move; jump backwards, roll to the side, run away—anything—but her feet seemed frozen in place.

"Aie!" she cried, crossing her arms feebly in front of her face, eyes clenching shut. It was all she could do, and she'd rather not see herself be squashed, thank you very much.

"Look out!"

Before she could even register the warning, she was being bodily shoved out of the way just as the billboard hit the ground with a sickening crunch. Strong arms wrapped around her, taking the brunt of the impact as they landed on the sidewalk. A hand came up to cradle the back of her head, pressing her face against a well-defined and compact chest.

"Are you all right?" Her savior's voice was gentle, but firm. The strong grip about her waist relaxed slightly, and the hand at her head dropped to rest on her shoulder.

"I think so." Miaka sat up and pulled back from the stranger, her hands pressing politely against his chest to give herself some space. She shook her head to try and clear it. She must have hit it on something despite her rescuer's heroics. What was that weird light?

After a moment she managed to force her eyes open to more than a crack, coming face to face with the shining symbol of the Willow emblazoned across her savior's collar bone.

"Sheesh Miaka. You can't even walk down a street without attracting danger, can you?"

_Those dulcet tones, so not in keeping with brute strength._ A small gasp escaped as her lips parted in astonishment. Hardly daring to believe, hardly daring to even _hope_, her eyes slowly lifted past full lips and a perfect small nose to meet a pair of amused lilac eyes shadowed by disheveled lavender locks. Her eyes widened, abruptly filling with tears. _It can't be…_

Her hands curled into the front of the white button down as she sucked in a deep breath and threw herself headlong into the arms of her third Seishi.

"Nuriko!" She cried. Her voice was muffled by his shirt and chest.

She could hear the smile in his voice as he said her name, his arms tightening about her waist and shoulders in a protective hold. "I missed you too."

Their embrace lasted only a moment, but it seemed much longer to Miaka. Reuniting with one of her Seishi was like rediscovering a part of her soul she'd thought died long ago.

Before long, the concerned chatter of bystanders broke through Miaka's bubble of happiness and she realized that she and Nuriko were still sitting in the middle of the sidewalk amidst the shattered remains of the billboard. The two of them pulled apart, Nuriko climbing to his feet first and effortlessly pulling her to hers. She laughed out loud when her feet cleared the ground by a good two feet despite his only being about three inches taller.

A crowd had gathered around them, several people were on their cell phones and in the distance Miaka could heard the distinct sounds of police sirens. She sneezed, causing a small dust cloud to rise from her hair and immediately began patting herself down to try and rid herself of the stuff. Nuriko did the same, as well as giving her a couple of swats on the back that nearly knocked her on her face and laughing with a satisfied grin at her expense.

But Miaka didn't care. Eyes shining in wonder, she asked, "How can you be here?"

The self-satisfied smirk vanished, and the lilac eyes widened in a startled look. Miaka cocked her head in mute inquiry as her seishi attempted to school his delicate features into a neutral expression and fell suspiciously quiet.

"Nuriko?" Miaka prodded, raising up on tiptoe to better look him in the eye.

He steadfastly refused to look at her, a slight flush appearing across the bridge of his nose. He raised a hand to scratch his cheek nervously. "About that…"

The motion brought Miaka's gaze to rest on his watch. With a strangled cry, she reached out to grab Nuriko's wrist for a better look, her eyes nearly bugging out of their sockets. "Oh my god I am so _late_." Determinedly, she shouldered her purse and charged around the debris, dragging Nuriko with her. "Come on, I'm supposed to meet Keisuke, Yui, and Tetsuya for lunch!"

Nuriko didn't protest, even as he nearly tripped over several large pieces of billboard and debris with a high pitched yelp of "Miaka! Be careful! If you kill me who's going to protect you from yourself?"

Ignoring her Seishi's caterwauling, Miaka ran pell-mell the rest of the way to the small outdoor café, barely heeding the other pedestrians as she towed Nuriko along.

Once the small café came into sight, Miaka's determined expression brightened as she scanned the faces of the seated patrons. How great was it going to be to finally introduce everyone to one another? Scanning the crowd, it wasn't long before Miaka caught sight of Yui; her distinctive blonde hair served as a beacon, despite the other girl's diminutive size. She also recognized the less than pleased expression on her best friend's face and finally slowed her pace a fraction.

Yui might be a little peeved at her for now, but that was sure to change as soon as Miaka explained things. Tetsuya's mouth was quirked into half smile as he watched Yui from behind his sunglasses. _Someone should tell him those things don't make you invisible,_ Miaka thought in amusement.

"Yui-chan!" She called, waving exuberantly as she and Nuriko neared the table Yui and Tetsuya had procured.

Yui turned her face away in exaggerated irritation, eyes closed and mouth set in a firm line of displeasure. "What took you so long?"

"Yui-chan! You'll never guess what's happened!" Miaka tugged Nuriko forward, her hand still firmly clasped around her Seishi's wrist. "I—"

"Well whatever it is," Yui stated smugly, "it can't be better than the surprise we've got for you-" The blonde stopped, noticing for the first time that Miaka had someone with her. Blue eyes immediately focused on the grip her friend had on the very pretty man standing next to her. Her brows knit together curiously as she appraised the newcomer. "Who's this?"

Miaka laughed, unfazed by Yui's shrewd appraisal of her seishi. She released his wrist to cling happily to his arm. "Yui, I'd like you to meet Nuriko, one of the Suzaku seven!"

Yui's eyes widened and Tetsuya's eyebrows suddenly became visible over his shades. Her voice held a note of disbelief. "One of the Suzaku Seven?" Her jaw seemed to refuse to close all the way as she took in this new information.

Nuriko had the grace to at least appear embarrassed at all the attention. "Hi there. Pleased to meet you."

"Ah! The gay one right?" Tetsuya slapped one fist into the other open palm. He grinned. "You were always so cool!"

While Nuriko preened, Miaka glanced around for her brother. "Where's Keisuke? He's always giving _me_ grief for being late and now he's not here? What gives?"

Yui and Tetsuya shared a look. "Remember that surprise we mentioned? He'll be here shortly. He had to stop to pick it up."

"Miaka!" Keisuke called out, weaving his way through the crowded café. "Sorry I'm late, I got held up. Did you know there's a billboard that fell down and nearly crushed some people not three blocks from here? We had to go around!"

Miaka's reply that _she_ had nearly been the one crushed died on her tongue when she realized something. "We?" She asked. Who would Keisuke have brought with him? Had he finally managed to get himself a girlfriend?

"Wait 'til you see what I found!" He told his sister.

"Oh? Something nice, I hope."

Nodding mysteriously, Keisuke smiled.

"Keisuke, slow down!"

A bolt of electricity lanced through Miaka, causing her heart to skip a beat and her palms to sweat. _That voice…_

Keisuke, his smile wide enough to rival that of the Cheshire cat, stepped aside to reveal his 'find'.

Time seemed to stand still as Miaka took in the familiar teal hair and sun kissed skin. Her grip on Nuriko's arm faltered as she took a step forward, as though pulled by an unseen force, hands coming up to press against her trembling mouth.

"Tamahome?" She whispered, her heart was suddenly flooded with emotion.

Amethyst eyes regarded her curiously and to Miaka's dismay, she saw absolutely no recognition in them. Only polite interest and slight confusion at her emotional display.

"My name is Sou Kishu—" He stopped mid-sentence as his gaze dropped to the ring she now wore on a chain around her neck. Miaka's heart thudded painfully, a wave of yearning striking her body like a physical blow. Her hand grasped at the ring, only to realize it was warm, with a slight glow emanating from between her fingers.

An answering light appeared beneath the opening of his blue t-shirt, pulsating with what could only be the holy light of Suzaku. Once it had faded, Miaka dared to look him in the eye again and was overjoyed to see them brimming with the love and devotion she had pledged to him all those years ago.

"Miaka…" He breathed her name as though the mere sound of it gave him life.

Hesitant, she whispered, "You… remember?"

"Of course I do." He raised a hand to lightly brush her cheek. "Who could forget you?"

Miaka bit her lip to keep the tears from spilling over, moving to embrace the man she'd promised to love forever. When they touched, once again it felt as though a piece of her had finally returned. With a contented sigh, she rested her head on Tamahome's chest.

An annoyed sounding cough ripped the two of them out of their reverie.

"Does anyone remember _me_?" Nuriko lamented dryly.

"Or us?" Yui added with a deadpan expression. Tetsuya hid a smile while Keisuke continued to grin idiotically.

"Nuri-ko?" Tamahome asked, releasing Miaka to stare dumbly, mouth agape at his brother Seishi.

Miaka shot Yui an apologetic grin. Yui shook her head slightly, mouthing 'Don't worry about it.'

Unfazed, Nuriko chirped, "Heya Tama-kins, long time no see!"

Tamahome looked back and forth between Miaka and Nuriko in confusion. "How can this be?" He asked, incredulously.

Nuriko scowled. "What, did you think you were the only one who loves Miaka enough to want to protect her in this world too?" He sniffed delicately, turning his nose up with great dignity. "Hmph. Obviously, a Seishi's bond with his priestess knows no bounds."

Keisuke suddenly loomed close to Nuriko, his expression starry with hero worship. "You gave your life for my sister once already and you still want to protect her? _That's so _noble!"

"Hopefully in this world she won't need so much protection." Nuriko shot Miaka a meaningful look. "But after this morning, I wouldn't count on it."

Cheeks reddening, Miaka protested, "Honestly, I'm not normally attacked by things falling from the sky!"

Laughing, everyone settled down into seats at the table, Miaka wedged between Tamahome and Nuriko, each of her hands tightly holding one of theirs. Even though Yui was across the table, the two girls were able to hold quite a detailed conversation as the boys started asking questions.

Yui's wide blue eyes flicked between Tamahome and Nuriko and then back to Miaka in clear questin, _What's going on here?_

Miaka shrugged her shoulders and bit her lip. _I'll let you know when I figure it out._

Satisfied that her best friend would follow though, Yui turned her attention back to the boys with renewed interest.

"So you were reborn too then?" Tamahome asked. "You're not a ghost this time?"

"I'm as flesh and blood as any of you." Nuriko confirmed with a mischievous grin. "I've had a whole life here in this world. Though until today my memories of my past life were nothing but dreams." He cast a meaningful look at Miaka, voice softening. "It wasn't until I saw you in danger that everything came flooding back in one fell swoop."

Everyone fell silent as the waitress came to take their drink orders and inform them of the day's specials. Once she was gone, the conversation started up again.

"How did you find Tamahome, Keisuke?" Miaka turned her questioning gaze on her brother. Wasn't a Seishi supposed to be drawn to the priestess?

"Well, oddly enough, he's my new neighbor." Keisuke admitted, scratching his nose idly. "I saw him moving in and couldn't help but recognize him." Adopting an air of importance, he leaned back in his chair to wave a hand dismissively. "So I did what any honorable big brother would do and started playing detective. I offered to help him move in and, of course, we two romantic heroes hit it off right away."

Tamahome looked as though he'd like to object, but kept his mouth shut, shooting Miaka an amused look as her brother hammed it up.

"I saw the ring and started asking questions and before long he mentioned that he'd had weird dreams ever since he was a kid. I knew it was fate; I had to bring the two of you together again. Destiny demands it!"

Miaka laughed softly. Her brother sure could be delusional, but she'd let him have it for now. After all, he'd just reunited her with Tamahome.

Quietly she snuck a peek at Nuriko out of the corner of her eye. The purple haired Seishi was listening, laughing at all the right things, but Miaka could see he seemed distracted. Once again, her most flamboyant Seishi was uncharacteristically quiet. Something was definitely up.

"So if Tamahome goes by his real name then…"

They call me Chou Ryuuen here too." He smiled, his eyes softening as they lit upon her face. "But to you I'll always be Nuriko."

"I wonder if everyone was reborn under their old name?" Yui chewed a thumbnail thoughtfully. "That'd make it a lot easier to try and find them if they did all happen to be reborn, wouldn't it?"

"We can see about that later." Tetsuya nodded, gently prying Yui's hand away from her mouth and covering it with his own. "Right now we should give the three of them time to get reacquainted. Don't you think?" He shot a meaningful look at Keisuke, but the older Yuuki was paying him no attention, instead flipping through the menu frantically as the waitress returned to take their meal orders.

Miaka ordered her favorite pork cutlet dish and waited politely for the others to finish. Under the table she gave each of her Seishi's hands a squeeze, simply allowing herself to relax and enjoy the feeling of finally being reunited with them. When had she last been this happy? Her heart was soaring so high she thought for a few precious moments that maybe _she_ could fly too.

Her mood remained buoyant throughout the remainder of brunch—really more of a lunch now, as everyone swapped stories about what they'd been doing in the past five years. Or in Nuriko and Tamahome's cases, their lives.

Tamahome was a rising accounting star. His love of money had also seemed to transcend worlds and time because he was very good at it. In his spare time he helped coach Yotsubadai's basketball team. Miaka smiled at the news that he coached her old school. It was like he'd been just a few steps behind her all along and she'd never noticed.

Nuriko seemed to be doing quite well for himself in the fashion industry. His parents had owned a clothing company and he'd followed in their footsteps and was just now beginning to step out and make a name for himself as a designer. Miaka wasn't surprised. He'd always been fashionable whether he was dressing as a man or a woman.

Right now, he was definitely sporting more manly attire. The white button down complimented soft black slacks and some stylish shoes. His hair was short, like it had been right before he died. Miaka missed his braid, but couldn't deny that he looked good with short hair. His androgynous good looks made it impossible not to look at him. Somehow he managed to be both slim and beautiful, yet lean and muscular enough that Miaka found herself wondering what he might look like underneath said shirt.

Catching herself, Miaka tore her eyes away and purposely focused on Tamahome. He was beautiful in his own way as well, but his was a more wild beauty. No one would ever mistake him for a woman. The blue v-neck and khakis he wore were just tight enough Miaka could trace the lines of his biceps with her eyes.

_This is not the time for this._ Miaka scolded herself harshly. Rather than continue to fight with herself she released both of her Seishi's hands to dig into her pork cutlet. Of course she was finished in no time; decimating it in the time it took everyone else to eat only a few bites.

"Same old Miaka." Tamahome said warmly.

Miaka blushed, tucking a strand of auburn hair behind an ear and stealthily procured one of his eggrolls.

* * *

As nice as it was to see Yui, Tetsuya, and Keisuke, Miaka was glad when their meal was finally over and she Nuriko and Tamahome were left alone to wander the streets of Tokyo.

Flanked by her two Seishi, Miaka led them a short distance to a small park in order to escape the crowds and hubbub. Having the two of them with her once again made her feel more alive than she had in a very long time.

Tamahome reached for her hand and she took it, placing a gentle kiss to the back as they walked. At this, Nuriko dropped back a few paces, slowing down enough that Miaka grew concerned. "Nuriko, hurry up!"

"Don't worry about me!" He assured her. "I won't lose you!"

Once they'd reached the park and procured a bench, Miaka and Tamahome sat, making themselves comfortable while Nuriko stood, watching the antics of the children on the playground with interest. What was wrong, Miaka wondered, gazing at him. He'd been strangely quiet since the café. Wasn't he as happy to have his memories awoken as she was to find him? Were his cheeks a little pink? Was he embarrassed about something? Why wouldn't he look at her and Tamahome?

Miaka's gaze dropped to the sight of her and Tamahome's clasped hands. Society tended to frown on such public displays of affection, but she'd been so excited she hadn't been paying that any mind for the past couple of hours. Her brow furrowed, Nuriko had never seemed upset by her displays of affection before, so why-?

Five years of pain at seeing Yui and Tetsuya together all the time while she'd had no one suddenly stuck out in her mind. Though she'd been extremely happy for them, the constant reminder about what she didn't have sometimes felt like a hot knife in her chest. She had no right to feel bad, though, as she and Tamahome had never been discreet about their feelings for each other, even in front of the other Seishi.

Her cheeks burned with shame. It had been so easy to just fall back into old habits with Tamahome without even considering how it might make others feel.

With that thought, Miaka released Tamahome to grasp Nuriko's hand with both of hers, holding it with earnest assurance, wanting him to know in no uncertain terms that she was happy to have both of them back. "My life just hasn't been the same without the Suzaku Seven in it," she began warmly. "I couldn't be happier to have both of you back with me again." _And I promise to be a better friend and not make you uncomfortable if I can help it! _She vowed silently. She loved Tamahome, but she loved Nuriko too!

Almost immediately her face reddened at her own thought. _As a friend._ She corrected herself. She loved Nuriko as a friend. Even though it had taken five years for her to be reunited with Tamahome, her feelings of love for her Seishi were still as strong as ever.

_A friend. You love him as a friend._ She repeated to herself, even as her gaze perused Nuriko's profile with appreciation. She'd always thought he was beautiful, but she'd never been attracted to him, right? She squirmed at the memory of the night Nuriko had saved her and Tamahome from being electrocuted. The night he'd forcibly stripped her down to make sure she didn't catch cold and then teased her by pretending to kiss her.

If she was perfectly honest, she'd been kind of disappointed that he hadn't.

"It's about time you three showed up."

The three of them jumped at the intruding voice, Tamahome nearly falling off his end of the bench. Nuriko yelped, wrapping Miaka in a near strangle hold in surprise. Miaka squeaked, turning to see a pair of squinty eyes peering hard at her from a wrinkled face with extremely saggy jowls. Only one face could ever look remotely like that.

"Taiitsukun!"

Fighting her way free of Nuriko' s grip, Miaka hugged the Deity with unabashed glee. "It's so good to see you!"

"Are you sure about that?" Nuriko said in a stage whisper that earned him a glare from the Creator.

"Very funny." Taiitsukun huffed and Miaka took a moment to take in her appearance. She'd chosen to appear to them in modern dress, her small frame dwarfed by far too many layers of clothing for the warm weather they were having. Wrapped about her shoulders was a colorful scarf that somehow managed to give her a level of sophistication that the pink floating sash never did. A simple red felt hat and a bamboo purse completed the look.

"What are YOU doing here?" Tamahome demanded. He'd recovered from his near tumble and was making a show of readjusting his clothes.

Taiitsukun rolled her eyes. "What do you think? I just dropped by for tea and cookies? Numbskull! Obviously I'm here to tell you that something has gone amiss regarding the Universe of the Four Gods. "

Miaka frowned. "Amiss?" What could have gone wrong with the Universe of the Four Gods? Hadn't all four priestesses already been summoned? Hadn't the prophecies been fulfilled?

As though she knew what Miaka was thinking, Taiitsukun answered, "Though the prophecy has been fulfilled, the story has not ended." She gestured with a bony hand towards Tamahome and Nuriko. "Your Seishi's love for you transcends time and space. Unfortunately, that connection, and your sealing of Seiryuu has thrown off the balance of both worlds. You must summon Suzaku once more in order to put it right."

"I have to summon Suzaku again? B-but...is that even allowed?"

Taiitsukun's lips quirked in a smile. "These are very special circumstances. The four gods, powerful though they are, cannot grant their own wishes. It's against the rules. Because you, the Priestess of Suzaku, wished for Seiryuu to be sealed, only you can wish for him to be unsealed and restore balance to the Universe of the Four Gods."

"All right…" Miaka said slowly. "That sounds simple enough."

"Not as simple as it sounds, my dear."

"We just have to reassemble the Suzaku Seven, right?" Miaka said, and made a fist in determination. "That can't be too hard, I've already found Tamahome and Nuriko in the same day!"

Speaking as though to a slow child, Taiitsukun continued, "Yes, Miaka. Your bond with their spirits is strong and I doubt it will take you long to locate them. But there's something very different about this summoning."

Miaka's face scrunched up. "What's different about it?"

Taiitsukun cleared her throat, the wrinkles around her eyes and cheeks deepening slightly in amusement. "Well, in order to summon Suzaku a second time, it will require the use of a special technique to raise both your Seishi's chi as well as your own in order to summon Suzaku again."

"What kind of technique?"

"Bou Chou Jutsu."

To be continued…

* * *

Authors Notes: I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to Kitty Lynne for being a good sport and helping me with some of the finer details of this story as well as being a fantastic beta reader! She also let me use an idea from one of her stories that isn't going to actually make an appearance for at least another chapter, but when it does I will be giving her proper credit!

Go read her Tasuki amd Miaka fiction! They are absolutely the best!

The fastest way to get me to update is to review and tell me what you liked! Or things that you think might happen! Please speculate! It makes me giggle with evil glee.


	2. Chapter 2

Art of Love

Chapter Two

_Bou Chuu Jutsu?_

The silence that followed stretched on and on, as Miaka's face took on the hue of a ripened cherry. Finally, she managed to squeak, "What?"

"Wait a minute." Tamahome spoke up. "Isn't that the _exact opposite_ of what you told us before?" Taking a protective step closer to Miaka, he folded his arms over his chest and regarded the old woman with eyes that had hardened from their usual amethyst to a steely, hostile gray.

Taiitsukun pursed her lips in irritation. "Yes. But circumstances change. Since Miaka has already summoned Suzaku once, the ability remains dormant, and it only requires the proper…stimulation to bring it forth once more."

"So I have to re-gather the Suzaku seven and and and…." Miaka's voice grew softer until it was barely even a whisper. "Have sex?"

"Yes."

"With _all_ of them?"

"Yes."

Miaka was silent for a moment, digesting the information. Her recollection of the first and last time she'd even heard of Bou Chuu Jutsu was…

She pointed weakly at the Creator's face. "How can I be sure you aren't Tomo?"

Taiitsukun glared, the scarf at her neck suddenly billowing in a breeze that came from nowhere, and didn't affect anything else. "Such impertinence!"

"I was fooled that way once before!" Miaka retorted defensively. The Seiryuu Seishi's illusionary spells had been quite convincing when she'd been fifteen and she didn't relish the idea of a repeat. She wanted to believe that she'd grown wiser in the past five years, and after the debacle in Hokkan where she'd foolishly run off in an attempt to steal back the Shinzaho from Nakago, she was going to question such a request. Even from Taiitsukun herself.

Understanding dawned in Taiitsukun's eyes, and the scarf settled about her shoulders once more as her wrath dissipated. "Fair enough."

One fist pressed to her mouth, cheeks still burning, Miaka asked, "How am I supposed to do this? If they don't _remember_ me I can't exactly ask them to… sleep with me. Even if they _do_ remember me I'm not sure I can ask them that…" She trailed off, her gaze fixed on her shoes. At this rate she'd never be able to look any of her Seishi in the eye ever again. Seriously, what was Suzaku thinking?

"They've already agreed to it." Taiitsukun said matter of factly.

"WHAT?" Miaka and Tamahome's voices rang out in unison. Tamahome's shout was more of a bellow, and Miaka's hit a pitch not even dogs could hear. Miaka whipped around to see Nuriko purposely looking anywhere but at her and Tamahome, two spots of color highlighting his delicate cheekbones.

The Creator rolled her eyes, as though taking the time to explain pained her greatly. "It was part of the agreement. In order for them to be reborn into this world they all had to agree to the requirements for a second summoning." Her lips twisted in what passed for a smile. "You'll have to reawaken their memories first of course."

Despite her chagrin, Miaka's eyes widened with interest. As unorthodox as this was, Taiitsukun was promising her the very thing she'd been wishing for; to be reunited with all her Seishi once more. In light of that thought, it was easy to temporarily ignore the more intimate details of the request for the moment. "How do I do that?"

"That is one question I cannot answer for you." Taiitsukun intoned.

In disbelief, Miaka exclaimed, "But you're the Emperor of Heaven! You know _everything_!"

At Miaka's declaration there was a long and awkward pause.

"Ah, I see...so you really _don't_ know, do you?" Miaka asked.

Taiitsukun was glaring again. "That mouth of yours is going to get you in a lot of trouble one day." She warned, then added in a more cordial tone, "You must think. What did you do to find Nuriko?"

Miaka turned to regard her third Seishi curiously. "Honestly, I didn't do anything! He saved me from being crushed by a billboard when I was on my way to meet everyone."

Nodding thoughtfully, Nuriko added, "Kind of like how we met the first time when I saved you from the pagoda rubble." His face lit up and he held up a finger in affirmation. "Hey maybe _that_ jogged my memory."

"It makes sense…" Miaka murmured, slowly drifting closer to the purple haired warrior as she scrutinized him.

Nuriko watched her come closer, making no move to get away or stop her, his eyes soft and glowing with the intensity of his emotions. That intensity made Miaka feel shy, and she looked away from it to meet Tamahome's gaze instead.

Her first Sieshi frowned at her noticeable reaction to Nuriko, his posture becoming rigid and Miaka felt a hot wave of shame replace shyness. She loved Tamahome! She'd loved him since she was fifteen, how could she betray him by allowing herself to feel anything for another man? Even if it was Nuriko…

Voice trembling with rage, Tamahome demanded, "Why is Suzaku doing this to us?"

Taiitsukun stared at him. "Suzaku is not 'doing' anything to you."

"Oh really? Then why can't he just find a new priestess? Miaka's role is already done. How can he expect me to share the woman I love with six other men?"

Taiitskun's tiny frame seemed to grow ten feet tall when she roared, "Silence!" Lowering her voice she pinned Tamahome with an irate stare. "You would question the will of your patron god?"

Unfazed, Tamahome shouted, "Yes! When it comes to Miaka, I'll question anything that might hurt her!"

Miaka frowned. Tamahome was protecting her as a man as well as her Seishi...but she found she didn't particularly appreciate what he was insinuating. None of the Suzaku Seven would harm her. Ever. In fact, Miaka was more worried that her Seishi would end up being the ones who got burned after everything was said and done- Hotohori in particular came to mind. The Emperor of Konan had made no secret of his feelings for her, and it pained her to think that the new summoning ceremony might reopen those old wounds.

Could she do that? Sleep with someone who loved her for the sake of the ceremony and then just... walk away?

One of Taiitsukun's scraggly brows lifted in inquiry. "You think Suzaku would do his beloved priestess such an injustice as to ask Miaka to do something that she hasn't the strength to do?"

Tamahome's face fell. "No! I mean, I know she's strong...and _capable,_ it's just…" He looked away, face reddened with embarrassment.

"You do not wish to share the priestess?" Taiitsukun probed.

"Hell no!"

"That is not for you to decide, Tamahome." Taiitsukun admonished. "Miaka's heart is capable of forgiveness and love of the highest caliber. I have no doubts that she has the capacity to love more than one person."

Taiitsukun's words struck Miaka with the force of an arrow, driving straight through her heart and then pinging around inside her chest cavity like a pinball.

_Love… more than one? _That was allowed? The idea made her ears burn.

"Who said anything about love? The ceremony just requires her to have sex, right?" Tamahome sputtered.

The Creator sighed heavily, bony fingers massaging her temple in irritation. "Tamahome, sometimes I wonder if you know your priestess at all. Do you really think Miaka would sleep with someone if she didn't love them?"

"N-No…"

"Well then. I think it's clear that the problem lies with you. Not Miaka."

Miaka was speechless. She'd grown up with the idea of a person finding their one true love and getting a happily ever after. It was all she'd ever wanted for herself and Tamahome since she'd first realized she'd fallen in love with him. She simply hadn't _allowed_ herself to think that way about anyone but Tamahome. She'd loved the others, but it had always been a platonic love and nothing more.

But Taiitsukun was right. She'd never be able to perform the requirements for the ceremony unless she allowed those feelings to grow from friendship into something greater. Her lips twitched in wry amusement. She'd already caught herself having more than friendly thoughts regarding Nuriko. So far, she'd been brushing them off as mere excitement at having her Seishi returned to her, but what if it that's not all it was?

_Could_ she fall in love with the others enough to be able to perform the ceremony? Suzaku's chosen were all beautiful in their own way, much like a flock of brightly colored birds. On at least a physical level, it wouldn't be that hard and… _I wouldn't have to break anyone's heart again._

"Miaka?"

Taiitsukun's gravelly drawl snapped Miaka out of her thoughts. "Huh?"

"I would hear your thoughts. What do you think about all of this?"

Miaka bit her lip, glancing down. "Well. It's a lot to take in, that's for sure." She was still reeling from the idea that it might be okay to be in love with more than one person at a time. The concept was completely foreign, and went against everything she'd ever been taught growing up.

Although if she were completely honest with herself, suddenly having not only the permission, but the direct _order_ of a god to love Tamahome _and_ the rest of her Seishi… well… The entire thing was deliciously naughty; just the idea of it gave her goose bumps. Obviously, Tamahome wasn't happy with the arrangement, but Taiitsukun said that the others had all agreed to it before they'd been reborn. Which meant...

Her eyes widened and her hands came up to cover her mouth as a thought suddenly occurred to her.

"Does this mean that Tasuki and Chichiri are dead too?" She asked. "If they're reincarnated, I mean?"

"Of course not." Taiitsukun said, and snapped her fingers briskly.

There was a sharp popping sound as two figures suddenly appeared about twenty feet above the ground. They hovered for a couple of seconds in mid-air before realizing where they were, and as they started to fall, one of them began to scream as he began his descent.

"Yaaaaaaaah!" Tasuki wailed, his arms and legs flailing as he plummeted towards the earth.

Looking almost bored, Nuriko stuck out his arms just in time to catch the squawking bandit before he hit the ground. After one look at his savior, Tasuki threw a small fit, babbling about seeing the face of a dead man, which earned him a direct trip to the ground.

In the meantime, Chichiri, startled by the sudden inter-dimensional trip as well as Tasuki's screams, transformed into his chibi form, landing safely in Miaka's waiting arms.

"Chichiri!" Miaka gasped, her arms tightening reflexively about the monk's miniaturized body. Without a thought she pressed her face to his, rubbing their cheeks together affectionately. "I've missed you so much!"

"No da!" Chichiri responded with unabashed glee, allowing Miaka a moment to squeeze him before transforming back to his real size in a colorful puff of smoke.

Miaka yelped when the small, softly rounded body cuddled in her arms suddenly changed; she was now pressing herself against a hard muscled chest, her arms clutched tight around a man's firm waist. Arms that had been too short a moment ago came up to encircle her affectionately and lean hands held her close.

"I missed you too, Miaka," Chichiri said warmly.

Despite his leaner build in comparison to her other Seishi, Chichiri's frame still managed to completely envelop her. His chin rested atop her head, pressing her face into the hollow between his neck and shoulder. It felt good to be held by him, and Miaka felt herself instantly relaxing. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply and let the scents of his ceremonial incense wash over her.

For a moment, she was back in Konan. Everyone was alive and they were about to embark on the search for the Shinzaho. Those precious moments before Tamahome's family had been killed had been so happy. Her love for Tamahome had burned so brightly then!

With a pang of guilt, she realized that her feelings for Tamahome _had_ changed. At least a little. She still loved him now, even after five years of waiting and loneliness. But time seemed to have transformed the intense feelings of first love into something greater—a feeling that was scarily similar to the feelings she'd begun having for the rest of her Seishi as they reappeared one by one. It was becoming abundantly clear to Miaka that her feelings were more than just happiness at seeing her friends alive again.

Why couldn't things have ended differently? Why had so many of her friends had to die? Her heart lurched and she felt the familiar prick of tears at the corners of her eyes. To her horror, a sniffle escaped her and Chichiri's grip tightened. She was grateful Chichiri hadn't given up wearing his billowing robe, because she needed the extra second or two of cover to compose herself.

Once she pulled back, Chichiri's arms fell to his sides and he removed his mask to give a respectful bow. The jagged scar across his eye was the same, as well as the wisdom shining in his one good eye. It appeared that almost no time had passed at all for her two surviving Seishi.

"What the hell? Don't I get a hug too?"

His voice was deeper, but there was no mistaking that heavy accent. Turning, feeling her heart hammering in her throat, Miaka saw that Tasuki had picked himself off the ground and was watching her intently.

Her eyes widened in blatant appreciation. Whereas time hadn't seemed to touch Chichiri, Tasuki's appearance certainly made it obvious that a few years had passed. He'd grown taller and his shoulders had broadened and filled out. He'd always had a sort of swagger and exuded a certain toughness, but that boyish scoundrel look was long gone, replaced by the more relaxed strength of a sensual rogue.

Miaka swallowed. She wanted nothing more than to hug her Seishi, but seeing the fine looking man he'd grown into, she was hesitant to approach him even as she mentally kicked herself for being that way. Tasuki had never scared her, even when he'd kidnapped her that night at Mount Reikaku. Why was she so nervous now?

_Maybe because he's looking like he wants to carry me off again. And this time I don't think I'd get away without a kiss. Or more._

She was surprised by her thoughts, but the heat in Tasuki's amber eyes said that she was right. He stared at her for what seemed like forever, then blinked and the blaze was gone, tempered to a warm glow that still sent shivers of anticipation down her spine.

When she still didn't move, Tasuki frowned. Then, with a mischievous fanged growl, he charged her.

Miaka barely had time to realize what was happening before she'd been captured. His powerful arms clasped about her waist, hauling her flush against his chest and lifting her into the air. She let out a shriek as her feet left the ground, her arms flying around Tasuki's neck of their own accord. Her fifth Seishi held her there effortlessly, looking up into her face. This close, she could see the tiny flecks of orange and gold that made his eyes sparkle like the embers of a fire.

"Tasuki! What are you doing?" She admonished, giving a half-hearted kick with one foot.

He ignored the false protest and grinned up at her, fangs flashing in the sunlight. "Sorry, Mi-chan. Looks like yer my prisoner."

She laughed as her Seishi spun with her in an outrageous circle, his own laughter mixing with hers as he gently set her down.

Once her feet were on solid ground again, Miaka tightened her hold on his neck; her height forcing him to bend over to rest his chin on her shoulder. He gasped when she tightened her grip, and then responded in kind, hugging her tightly enough that a tiny squeak escaped her, before relinquishing his captive.

Still smiling, Miaka released Tasuki to turn and face Taiitsukun.

The Creator watched her solemnly, a glimmer of pride in her ancient eyes. "As you can see, even though the others have already been reincarnated, it was not necessary for your two surviving Seishi to die in order to aid you in your search. As long as they live, they will answer the call of the priestess."

As though realizing what was going on for the first time since he'd arrived, Tasuki looked around curiously. "What are we doin' here anyways, Grandma? I thought our world and Miaka's world had to remain separate now that she's summoned Suzaku."

"You're here because we need to have sex with Miaka." Tamahome answered sulkily. He'd been so quiet since Taiitskun reprimanded him that Miaka had almost forgotten he was even there.

"All of us do!" Nuriko piped up cheerily.

"Whaaaaaaaat?" Tasuki and Chichiri howled in unison.

"Of course that's the _short_ version," Taiitsukun stated in annoyance.

Chichiri, who usually treated Taiitsukun with the utmost respect, simply shook his head and stared at his shakujou, looking as though he might enjoy throttling Taiitsukun or Suzaku himself with it.

Tasuki turned on the Creator, eyes wild. "_All of us? _What the Hell is Suzaku thinking? Chiriko is a _child_!"

Miaka paled. "Oh my, I hadn't even _thought_ of that." There was absolutely no way she could go through with the ceremony now. That was just wrong! What kind of pervert was Suzaku anyway?

Taiitsukun sighed. "Reincarnation is a messy business. But be assured that the other Seishi may not be the same age as when you last saw them. "

"You mean one of them could be like, really, really old?" Tamahome mused aloud, his face wrinkling in distaste.

"You mean, like Taiitsukun?" Tasuki interjected. "Ow! OW!"

Taiitskun harrumphed, shifting her grip on her bamboo purse after she hit him again. "I'm sure the others managed to find appropriate times to be born. They were well aware of the new summoning ceremony and have thus taken their ages into consideration."

Tasuki sulked, rubbing his inured arm as Chichiri interjected, "They knew about this?" The monk's ears, the only thing visible behind his mask, were a deep shade of red.

"We agreed to it." Nuriko said, obviously avoiding eye contact with Miaka or any of his fellow Seishi. "Taiitsukun explained to us that the worlds were out of balance because Tamahome had followed Miaka to her world and been reborn. She said the only way to put it right was to summon Suzaku a second time." Finally he looked up, boldly locking eyes with the Monk. "Learning the exact nature of the summoning ceremony was shocking, of course. But I love Miaka and summoning ceremony or no summoning ceremony I am going to make sure she's the happiest person in the world for as long as I live!"

"So this is all _your_ fault!" Tasuki exclaimed, throwing an accusatory look at Tamahome.

"Don't look at me like I did it on purpose! I followed her because I love her!" Tamahome defended himself.

"It's not all Tamahome's fault." Taiitsukun stated. "The priestesses left many things in the Universe of the Four Gods and several artifacts from our world have made it here. At this point, it would be impossible to track down every item to ensure complete and total separation of the worlds. All someone needs to do is find one of those items and they might be able to use it as a medium to cross over."

"So us having sex with Miaka is supposed to solve all of that?" Tamahome's expression was dubious.

"Not just any sex, Tamahome." Taiitsukun intoned. "Bou Chuu Jutsu."

"You're teaching them Bou Chuu Jutsu?" Despite the mask, the panicked look on Chichiri's face was clear. "That's dangerous!"

The Creator chuckled. "Calm yourself, Chichiri. I will not be teaching them Bou Chuu Jutsu."

The monk visibly relaxed, letting out a sigh. "Good."

"_You_ are going to teach them."

Chichiri's painted face went agape, the skin around the edges of the mask going pale. "Daaa..." He said weakly. "I am?"

Taiitsukun nodded. "With your extensive spiritual training, you'll be able to impart the basics."

"What the hell's Bucket-jutsu?" Tasuki asked with a frown.

Matter-of-factly, Nuriko answered, "Bou Chuu Jutsu is a spiritual sort of sex that enables the participants to increase their life forces. That's why Nakago was so powerful."

At hearing this, Tasuki was incensed. "That blond bastard bolstered his powers by having _sex_? Shit, if I'd known, we could have done this a long time ago! Maybe things would have turned out differently!"

Tamahome rounded on the redhead. "That wouldn't have worked because Miaka had to be a virgin to summon Suzaku the first time!"

Tasuki scratched the back of his head. "Oh yeah. Right." He eyed Tamahome, who was looking doleful. "And now that rule don't apply. I suppose that's why you're still looking like a Little Ghost."

Tamahome glared at him. "And you're still looking like an idiot!"

While the two Seishi continued to bicker, Miaka let out a breath of relief. When Tamahome had brought up the fact she'd been required to be a virgin for the first ceremony, she was certain someone would ask whether or not she still was one.

She was, of course. The simple fact was that she'd never once tried to date or had even thought of another man that way since she'd fallen in love with Tamahome at fifteen. So of course she'd never had the chance to lose her virginity, which made the idea of this new summoning ceremony that much more daunting.

What if she wasn't any good? She'd be disappointing seven different people. Not just one. The idea was downright terrifying.

As her thoughts began to run away with her, Miaka felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Turning, she only saw Chichiri watching her intently, his concern evident despite the fact he was still wearing the mask. He seemed about to ask her something, but then changed his mind.

"_In any case_," Taiitsukun said loudly, wresting control of the conversation back, "the Four Gods have proposed a solution, but it is one that will require the cooperation of all of the Suzaku Seven and their Priestess."

"There's more?" Miaka asked. She didn't know what else Taiitsukun could possibly have to say. Nothing else would surprise her ever again after today...

"The Gods want you to use one of Suzaku's wishes to create a tangible gateway between the worlds."

Except for maybe that. "A gateway?"

"Yes. Once you wish for Suzaku to unseal Seiryuu, and make your second wish, the four of them will be able to use the Universe of the Four Gods as a catalyst to create a permanent doorway between the worlds."

"Wouldn't a tangible gate make it easier for people to cross over?" This came from Chichiri, who seemed to have recovered from his earlier shock.

"No, because it will put things under control. As I said, the way things are now, someone only needs to find an artifact that's been in the other world and they can cross over from wherever they may be. Narrowing the pathway to a single point dramatically decreases the chances of a random crossover."

"What if someone finds it by accident?" Tasuki growled.

"It will be hidden and well-guarded. A person would have to know it was there to approach it, and we will know that they know."

"Guarded by who?" Nuriko's brows knit together in curiosity.

"That's where all of you come in." Taiitsukun took a deep breath and for the first time, Miaka could see an immense tiredness in the Creator, a weariness that seemed to have settled in her bones. "I've watched over the world for longer than I care to remember. I've seen all four priestesses come and go." She raised her sunken eyes to meet Miaka's. "I'm getting too old for this. It's high time that I retire."

Miaka felt as though a sink hole had just opened up in the pit of her stomach. Taiitsukun couldn't be tired! She was the Creator for Suzaku's sake! She couldn't just up and quit! "Retire? Can you do that?"

"As long as I find a suitable replacement."

"Who in the world would be able to do what you do?" Tamahome asked.

Taiittukun's gaze did not waver from Miaka, and the dark pit in Miaka's stomach widened.

"Me?!" She gasped.

Taiitsukun gave a dry smile. "Yes, you. Your bond with your seishi is so strong, it has ripped the fabric of the universe. Power like that needs to be contained and used for the good of all, to bring balance. Should you agree to this, it would negate the need for a priestess to be selected from your world. Instead, you would be the priestess of all four gods: The Divine Protector."

"I-I…" Miaka stammered. She had no idea what to do. To even be asked something this monumental was…well, there were no words!

Taiitsukun glanced about. "If you want the job it's yours. If you accept we'll have to find an appropriate place for the ceremony to take place, because wherever you happen to be during the Ceremony is where the gate between worlds will be established." She gestured widely with her bamboo purse, nearly striking Tasuki a third time as she did so. "Once the Universe of the Four Gods has been used to create the gateway, Mount Taikyoukou will become the focal point in our world. It would become your new home and you would be required to defend it as you've defended Konan. Along with all of your Seishi."

The offer was tempting. Live on Mount Taikyoukou with all of her beloved Seishi, forever and ever? Slowly, Miaka asked, "And if I say no?"

Taiitsukun frowned, her eyes narrowing as she considered the question. After a moment she shrugged. "There is one other option- perhaps your friend Yui will serve as the Protector? If not, the final option is that our worlds will have to be separated for good, your Seishi will not be able to remain with you and the book will continue to draw new priestesses into it."

Miaka was shaking her head, aghast at the idea of having her Seishi taken from her again, especially so soon after she'd been reunited with some of them. To knowingly be the cause of their banishment would break her heart. There was no way she was going to let them go. Not again. Not after they'd made such sacrifices to find her. Her decision was made. She swallowed to dampen her suddenly dry throat, and then spoke from the heart.

"My time in the book was the best and worst time of my life. I learned so much. My experiences there have made me stronger." She lifted her head to make eye contact with each of her Seishi. "I got to meet all of you. I wouldn't change that for the world. Even after all of the bad things that happened. I can't just forget you. It might be selfish, but we have to be a part of each other's lives. And what's more, I can't just let some other unsuspecting girl be drawn into that world. What if the next girl isn't so lucky? And I won't ask Yui to do it either." As she made the declaration, Miaka shook her head again in negation. Yui didn't need to relive bad memories, especially now that she was happy with Tetsuya.

Her gaze returned to Taiitsukun, green eyes unwavering in meeting the Creator's intent regard.

"I'll do it."

To Be Continued…

* * *

AN: Just to be clear: The idea of the book continuing to pull new priestesses into the Universe of the Four Gods is kind of blatantly taken from the OAV's. I was never too happy with how the series did it, what with erasing the existence of the previous priestesses and all. The idea here is just that the book would continue a cycle of four priestesses. Basically I needed something to kind of force Miaka into feeling as though she had to agree in order to protect everyone—which is how she made a lot of decisions in the series so I think it fits.

Again thanks to Kitty Lynne for once again being an awesome beta! I also need to give her credit for the idea of Miaka being the priestess of all four gods. That idea originally came from her Tasuki and Miaka fanfic "The Promise" and she graciously gave me permission to use it here. Even if the idea has changed a little bit from what I originally intended and it kind of got taken over by Taiitsukun retiring, I still wanted to make sure I give her credit.

Please review so I know whether or not this fic is worth continuing to post! Do you all think I'm a crazy and perverted psycho?


	3. Chapter 3

Just a quick thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far, it really has helped motivate me to write faster! Well. That and the fact that I want to get to the good stuff. All this set up is driving me crazy!

Art of Love

Chapter Three

"Come on, Tamahome. You can't stay mad at me forever."

Aside from the slight tensing of his shoulders, Tamahome gave no sign that he'd even heard her.

Chichiri watched Miaka visibly deflate when Tamahome continued to ignore her, and his eye twitched in irritation with his brother Seishi for such childish behavior. It wasn't Miaka's fault that Suzaku had asked her to summon him again, and it certainly wasn't her fault that the ceremony required her to sacrifice her body, not to one, but seven different men!

Laying a gentle hand on her shoulder as they walked, pitching his voice in such a way that Tamahome—who insisted on walking at least ten feet in front of everyone else—was sure not to overhear, he tried to assuage her distress. "Don't worry, Miaka. Just give Tamahome some time. Until today, he'd always been the only man in your life. He's sure to feel a little upset about all of this. He'll come around eventually, no da."

After a moment, Miaka nodded, giving Chichiri a small smile of gratitude. The spring was back in her step now and Chichiri felt a flash of pride for having been the one to put it there.

He understood why Tamahome was upset. For years he'd been Miaka's one true love. Her agreeing to the ceremony so readily, even if it had been abundantly clear that she felt she had no other choice, had to feel tantamount to betrayal.

Chichiri sighed. Betrayal was a feeling he was all too familiar with.

Having an understanding of Tamahome's feelings didn't make it any less upsetting to see Miaka in pain when Tamahome shut her out. Silently, Chichiri resolved to have a conversation with his brother Seishi at first opportunity. Perhaps he'd be able to calm rough waters by helping him see that Miaka had made the only choice she could; it was either agree to do the ceremony or lose everyone—including Tamahome—forever.

His face was warming beneath his mask again. Out of habit, the monk immediately tried to banish the unchaste thoughts that had crept their way into his brain since he'd been told of the new summoning ceremony- although, with what Taiitsukun had instructed him to teach everyone, he supposed he wouldn't have to worry about harboring impure thoughts any longer.

When Miaka had first visited Konan and he'd rescued her and the others from Kutou assassins, he'd thought of her as cute; she was baby faced and had the boundless energy of youth that Chichiri had lost after he'd turned twenty. But she'd been so very immature that the idea of loving her the way Tamahome or Hotohori did had never even crossed his mind. He'd loved her as was proper for a Seishi to love his Priestess.

And then, all at once, during the final battle with Nakago, he'd seen what a strong, beautiful woman she'd become and his virtuous regard for his priestess had been forever altered.

Of course, shortly after his realization, the Seishi had all had to return to the Universe of the Four Gods and he'd thought he'd never see Miaka again. Besides that, she loved and had the love of Tamahome, and once his brother Seishi had figured out how to cross over, Chichiri knew he would have been nothing but happy for the two of them.

Being suddenly pulled off the side of the road through an inter-dimensional portal, leaving poor Tama-Neko to fend for himself on the outskirts of the Capital had been startling, but what had been more surprising was the intensity of his feelings in finding himself wrapped in Miaka's arms.

He hadn't been able to resist and had transformed back to his real size. Just so he could hold Miaka like a man. Just once.

Boy, had that been a mistake.

Several years had obviously passed in Miaka's world , because the girlish figure he remembered was no more. She had filled out in two very important areas, and now that he'd felt those delicious curves pressed against him he was having a very hard time forgetting about them!

That, and the fact that she was still a virgin.

He'd noticed the way Miaka tensed up when Tamahome and Tasuki were arguing and Tamahome had brought up the fact that for Suzaku's first summoning she'd been required to be a virgin. He'd almost asked her about it then, but decided it was inappropriate to ask in front of so many people. Especially when the topic was so sensitive; the concept of having sex for the first time was a momentous and heartfelt decision for most women, and he doubted Miaka would be any different. There was also the possibility that bringing up the subject would start an argument between some of the Seishi. He'd have to ask her about it later.

"Tamahome! Left!" Miaka hollered, rolling her eyes when he had to take several deliberate steps backwards in order to make the turn and not run into the middle of traffic. "We're almost there. Slow down a bit, please!" She added.

Chichiri hid a smile. There were disadvantages to always wanting to be first.

Taiitsukun had left them shortly after Miaka agreed to the terms of the second summoning and wishes, and now they were heading to Miaka's home. As they went, Chichiri noted that he and Tasuki seemed to draw quite a lot of attention and he knew that if they planned on walking about in the future that they were going to have to find new sets of clothes.

Miaka's world was quite amazing, now that Chichiri had time to get a proper look at it. The buildings were taller than any he'd ever seen and the motorized buggies—cars, Miaka had called them—were simply wondrous. From the corner of his eye, he could see Tasuki gawking at just about everything. Nuriko was having the best time explaining exactly what everything did. Chichiri couldn't be sure, but he suspected the other Seishi had to be making some things up.

"Of course, we'll have to figure out where you guys are going to stay." Miaka pondered aloud. "I suppose you can stay with me, but I've only got the one spare bedroom so one of you is going to have to sleep on the couch. And I'll have to ask Keisuke if he can bring the two of you some clothes." The Priestess turned to regard him with her clear green eyes and Chichiri felt his heart give a little jump. "Although I've gotta say I'm gonna miss the classic Konan looks!"

During the ride on the thing Miaka called an 'elevator,' Chichiri's stomach decided to stay behind on the bottom floor. He was surprised at himself—with all the teleporting he did on a regular basis you think he'd be used to things like that!

Tasuki did well, he'd stopped screaming at every little thing. Chichiri suspected it was partly because he was tired of Nuriko laughing at him and explaining everything, and partly because he was trying to look tough in front of Miaka.

Once the doors opened to the correct floor, Miaka led them down a long corridor with many doors. Chichiri took careful note so he'd be sure to remember where to go later. He'd done the same in the city, remembering landmarks at every turn in case he ever had need to navigate Miaka's world by himself.

"Home sweet home!" Miaka chirped, unlocking the door and swinging the door wide open to allow her Seishi entry.

Waiting for all the others to enter, Chichiri closed the door after himself and cast a simple protection spell over the entryway. Old habits die hard, and he was certainly taking no chances—especially not in his Priestess' home.

"Would you guys excuse me for a few minutes? I need to call Keisuke and make some plans." With that, Miaka disappeared into the next room. There was a series of clicks and then Chichiri could hear some muffled talking. Another one of this world's amazing inventions no doubt. He'd find out more about it later.

"Tamahome, do you think you could show me to this worlds equivalent of the latrines?" Chichiri asked. The other Seishi agreed easily and Chichiri followed him down the short hallway while Nuriko continued to explain several other modern devices to Tasuki in what Chichiri had learned was called 'the living room."

Once they were in 'the bathroom' Chichiri rounded on Tamahome— fixing the other man with a serious stare, he said, "Tamahome, what do you think you're doing?"

Tamahome paused in his demonstration of how the toilet worked. "I thought I was showing you the facilities… but I suppose that's not really what you wanted to talk to me about, is it?" Straightening, the navy haired Seishi crossed his arms, posture suddenly becoming tense.

"Correct."

Unimpressed, Tamahome lifted his chin. "Go on then. Yell at me."

"I'm not going to yell at you, Tamahome. What I am going to do is tell you that you're behaving like a total fool. More than anyone, I understand why you're upset about this entire course of events."

"Tch. How would you know anything about what I feel?" Tamahome hissed.

In response, Chichiri removed his mask, allowing his brother Seishi to get a good long look at the horrific scar covering his left eye before he spoke. "Tamahome, do you know how I got this scar? I told Miaka once, long ago."

Eyes wide, Tamahome shook his head, unable to look away from Chichiri's true face. "No. She never said anything to me about it."

Chichiri smiled, gratified at his Priestesses ability to keep a secret. "When I was eighteen, I was engaged to be married. We were deeply in love—or so I thought. One day I caught her and my best friend together and she told me she couldn't marry me." He watched Tamahome closely, pleased that the other Seishi was listening intently to his story.

Voice lowering, Chichiri continued, "I do have an understanding how you feel about this, Tamahome. Thinking of Miaka with some other guy, you feel betrayed. It's not fair. You might even want to hurt the rest of us."

"The idea had crossed my mind," Tamahome admitted, one hand clenching at his side as he ran the other through his hair in irritation. "I can't help how I feel, Chichiri."

"I know." "But I'm telling you that those feelings _never_ lead anywhere that's positive. There was an uncomfortable pause during which Chichiri watched his friend and comrade carefully. What he was about to say could never be taken back, and he could only hope that hearing it would have the intended effect on Tamahome—helping to create a bond of understanding. However, Chichiri was painfully aware that it might well serve to alienate him from his fellow Seishi.

The first words were difficult, and Chichiri found he had to force them out. "After my fiancé dumped me, I didn't know what to do. Jealousy consumed me. How could they do that to me? I didn't think. I flew into a rage and attacked Hikou. I fought with my best friend, and… I killed him."

"You killed your best friend?" Gray-amethyst eyes were skeptical.

Chichiri nodded solemnly. "We were fighting on the bank of a flooded river. He fell in and I tried to save him, but a log shot out of the water and struck me in the face. In that instant I lost my eye and my best friend."

"Chichiri… I had no idea." Tamahome's eyes widened. "I'm sorry." For the moment his anger and frustration had dissipated, leaving behind the empathy and understanding that Chichiri had been searching for.

"It's not your fault, no da. It is my shame to bear." He gave Tamahome a pointed look. "My only hope is that I can stop history from repeating itself. I want you to know I _understand_ your feelings, but I also that I will not tolerate any more foolishness from you." Anger flashed in his sorrel colored eye. "Can't you see the way you're acting is hurting Miaka?"

"Hurting Miaka?" Tamahome spat. "_She's_ the one who's ripped out my heart and stepped on it."

"She did no such thing," Chichiri admonished. "Did it ever occur to you that _Miaka_ is the one making a huge sacrifice here?"

"Some sacrifice," Tamahome muttered.

Chichiri struggled to keep his voice even. Why was Tamahome being so difficult? Had he been his hard-headed in his youth? Chichiri sent a silent apology to anyone who may have had to deal with him in his darkest days. Training with Taiitsukun for three years had certainly beaten the attitude out of him—but he didn't have three years to work with Tamahome! He needed Tamahome to understand and to do so quickly! "She is the one who has to give of herself for this summoning ceremony to work. Why is it so hard for you to understand that? Are you really that jealous?"

Tamahome's nostril's flared in rage, his eyes widening in sudden comprehension. "So you have a thing for her too, then?"

Chichiri reddened, finding that he could not deny it. This heart to heart talk was not going at all how he had planned, but he pressed on. "Suzaku chose well when he chose her. Miaka is the embodiment of love. One thing I've learned is that the quickest way to kill love is to behave with jealousy."

When Tamahome did not respond, Chichiri continued, "Do you know why, Tamahome? Because love isn't selfish. Miaka agreed to this in part so she wouldn't lose _you_. If she hadn't agreed, all of us, including you, would be separated from her forever."

"Isn't that a selfish reason in itself though?"

"Perhaps, but she's not doing it just to make herself happy. She's doing it for all of us." Chichiri smiled slightly. "Wanting to keep Miaka all to yourself is understandable, but that feeling is rooted in fear, not love. What are you so afraid of Tamahome? Miaka is always going to love you, even if she also loves the rest of us."

After a moment of heavy silence, Tamahome sighed, "I guess that's true. I still don't have to like it."

"But you understand you need to get over it, right?" Chichiri extended a hand and rested it on Tamahome's shoulder. "This is a big step for Miaka and this ceremony is too important to screw up. She's going to need your support more than ever."

* * *

When Miaka was finished phoning her brother and Yui, she stepped back into the living room to see Nuriko finishing explaining how the TV worked. "Keisuke, Yui, and Tetsuya will all be over as soon as they can."

She paused, noticing the absence of two of her Seishi. "Where's Tamahome and Chichiri?"

"Tama's showing Chichiri how the bathroom works." Nuriko answered with a wink. "We sure didn't have anything like these modern day conveniences back in Konan!"

"Ahhhh, some of it's overrated." Tasuki scoffed. "What do you get done all day if yer too busy playing with these damned electronical things?"

Miaka laughed at the perplexed expression on Tasuki's face. When Tamahome had initially followed her here, he'd been so amazed by everything in sight he'd seemed like a little kid. Trust Tasuki to be amazed, and still have the street sense to see the drawbacks. "Some people don't get anything done for that very reason." She admitted.

Tasuki nodded. "Figured. For me, I prefer the simple life back in Konan. No offense to your world, Mi-chan, but I'd much rather be focusin' on the things that matter to me."

He gave her a dashing, eye catching smile, his eyes dropping from hers to rove appreciatively over the rest of her. Miaka felt her heart leap, and then promptly fall on its face somewhere near her feet. _When_ had Tasuki learned to flirt ? He'd always been a straightforward person—he'd never shown any inclination to tease her in this particular way before!

She glanced at Nuriko, in hopes of finding confirmation of what she was hearing. The former cross-dresser was absolutely no help—he seemed find the situation hilarious! When he finally stopped laughing, an amused smirk lingered on his beautiful face. "Usually I might be inclined to agree with Tasuki. Life _was_ so much simpler in Konan. However, I am _very_ fond of some of the toys I've picked up in this world." Eyes shining with wicked laughter, he lowered his voice to a conspiring whisper, "Maybe I'll get the chance to show them to you later, eh Miaka?"

A few years ago, what Nuriko was implying would have gone right over Miaka's head. Despite her inexperience, she had learned things, and now at least had some idea of what Nuriko was getting at. Instead of shrieking at him as she might have when she was younger, she was determined not to have either man think her a prude or a shrinking violet.

Shyly looking away, she twisting a lock of auburn hair about her finger. "That would be nice, as long as Tasuki can come see them too," she said, looking up at the last moment so she could see their reactions.

Nuriko gaped at her for a moment, his cheeks turning an interesting shade of red before it finally dawned on him that she was only playing. He dissolved into peals of laughter. "How about that, Tasuki? You, me, Miaka, and my box of goodies?" He slapped Tasuki on the back with gusto, sending the bandit to the ground for the second time that day.

"Damnit, Nuriko! Are ya tryin' ta kill me?" Tasuki howled as he straightened, rubbing the back of his head as he sidled closer to Miaka, well out of reach of the purple haired Seishi. Wrapping an arm around his priestess, he added, "Thanks Mi-chan, but I don't play well with others."

He growled playfully, gnashing his teeth by her ear. Miaka squeaked and pulled away, blushing furiously. Trying to maintain her bravado and cover up her embarrassment, she shot back, "In that case, maybe I'll just let you play by yourself!" She wasn't sure what to think of herself at the moment. She and Yui had told many a dirty joke to each other, but she'd never said anything of the sort in front of, much less _to_ a man before. She had to admit she was having fun. It was much easier to joke about right now than to consider the reality of actually being alone with any of them, much less two of them at once.

Instead of being offended, Tasuki and Nuriko both laughed and Miaka joined in, glad that no one had thought to ask her the dreaded question as of yet. The idea of explaining to her Seishi that she was still a virgin was daunting. On the one hand she knew they'd understand, but from the sound of it, they all had at least some experience and it seemed, assumed she had some too.

She'd just let them think that for now.

Tamahome chose that moment to reappear from the hallway. For the first time since she'd agreed to Taiitsukun's request, he met her eyes and offered her a tiny quirk of his lips. Not quite a smile, but even that small gesture made Miaka's heart lift in hope.

Until he asked, "What's so funny?"

Nuriko and Tasuki wisely kept their mouths shut while Miaka desperately tried to come up with a plausible lie. Tamahome would definitely not take kindly to the idea of a threesome between herself and the other two Seishi. "I was just telling them how amazed you were by everything when you followed me here when Yui tried to separate us." She grinned up at him. "Tasuki and Chichiri never got to see much of Tokyo when they were here before because of the battle with Nakago. Nuriko's been filling Tasuki in on how things work here." She cast a worried glance down the hallway. "Do you think Chichiri's doing okay in there?"

"He's fine." Tamahome assured her. His voice sounded cheerful enough, but Miaka could see a muscle twitching in his jaw. A sign, she thought, that he was angry about something but trying to pretend he wasn't. "Did you get hold of Keisuke and the others?" He asked.

There was the distant sound of a flushing toilet and then the telltale trickle of a running faucet.

Miaka nodded. "Yes. They said they'll be here shortly."

Chichiri made his way back to the living room, his mask in place and as chipper as always. "Sorry I took so long, no da."

Tamahome cast the monk a reproachful look, but made no comment.

"Uh, guys," Miaka began, shifting her weight nervously as she tried to find the words she needed to say. "I'd appreciate it if we kept the details of the summoning ceremony just between us. I don't think my brother will take it well, and I don't want Yui or Tetsuya to worry."

"Yeah…" Nuriko made a face. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea. I'd probably freak out if Kourin was in this kind of situation."

The others all nodded in mute agreement. All of them had sisters and understood how, as much as Keisuke liked all of them, that he was likely to go ballistic if he knew the truth.

Chichiri spoke up. "I'd expect nothing less of a brother protecting his little sister's virtue."

"My sisters don't got any virtue left!" Tasuki snorted. His laughter was infectious enough that it got everyone, including the still dejected Tamahome, laughing too. At Miaka's scandalized expression he tried to compose himself and explain. "You don't understand, Miaka. My sisters… They're not like _you_—" Tasuki stopped in midsentence, amber eyes widening in sudden realization. "Mi-chan…?"

The room had suddenly become very quiet and Miaka's heart began to race as all eyes turned to her. Eyes wide, Miaka stared back at the four of them like a deer in the headlights.

"Miaka! Are you still—?"

Nuriko's question was cut off by the shrill chime of the doorbell. Miaka let out a sigh of relief, bolting across the living room with a clipped, "We'll talk about this later!" With that, she yanked open the door to reveal Yui, flanked by Tetsuya and Keisuke—all three of them wearing very startled expressions.

Forcing a smile, Miaka chirped, "Come on in!" And nearly dragged the three of them inside.

* * *

About twenty minutes later, Yui, Tetsuya, and Keisuke were seated on the couch as Miaka finished recounting the G-rated version of the day's events. Tamahome stood, occasionally pacing back and forth across the room, eventually driving Nuriko to yank the other man by the wrist to force him to sit still on the floor with him and Chichiri. Tasuki had made himself comfortable leaning against the half-wall separating the living room from the kitchen, watching everyone's reactions with interest.

"Another summoning, huh?" Tetsuya muttered, adjusting his sunglasses with two fingers. "Suzaku can't just find another Priestess?"

"Would you really want to put another unsuspecting girl through all that?" Miaka snapped, glancing meaningfully at Yui. "I know I can't let that happen."

Tetsuya blanched, lowering his eyes and looking quite abashed. He shot an apologetic look at Yui and Miaka. "Yeah. I think we can agree no one else needs to go through that."

Yui shook her head, hands curling into fists. "It's very noble of you to agree to take Taitsukun's place as the Divine Protector, but what about all of you? What about your lives?" Her blue eyes regarded Miaka with a hurt and seriousness that Miaka hadn't seen in a long time. "You're just going to abandon us?"

Miaka frowned, her brows knitting together. "I'm choosing to see this as a new opportunity. It may not be what I had planned, but I believe that the path I'm on is the right one." If Taiitsukun was correct and she and the others became semi-divine after everything was said and done, then it stood to reason that they would never want for much, if anything. "Taiitsukun told us that as long as someone is left behind to protect the Gate, we'll be allowed to come and go as we please." It was literally the best of both worlds. "She even said that as a former Priestess, Yui will be able to access the Gateway whenever she wants." Eyeing Tetsuya and her brother, Miaka added slyly, "And she'd even be able to bring guests."

That did it. Keisuke and Tetsuya looked as though Miaka had just told them they'd won the lottery. Miaka knew she hadn't exactly played fair, the boys had both lamented many a time that they wished they could've seen the Universe of the Four Gods for themselves, but she couldn't bring herself to feel too bad about it. Even Yui looked appeased at this new information, but her blue eyes drilled into Miaka with the intensity of someone who knows someone is keeping something from them.

"So theoretically, we could keep our day jobs," Mused Nuriko.

"That's what I understood," Chichiri agreed. "It wouldn't do for me and Tasuki to just drop out of existence. As emissaries of Konan, we've become pretty important."

"How is Konan?" Asked Nuriko. "How many years have passed?"

"Five years," Tasuki answered.

"That's the same as here." Miaka said. The realization gave her a start. Why hadn't more time elapsed in the book world? Before it had always seemed to pass faster there than in her world. Was it because of the Seishi being reborn in her world? Or some other reason?

Whatever it was, she was glad to hear that things were going well. Konan was being rebuilt at a steady pace under the leadership of Empress Houki and the Advisors.

After the conversation had reached a momentary lull, Yui asked, "Miaka, can I see you in private for a minute?" At Miaka's blank look she added, "It's about that thing you borrowed."

"Yeah, sure." Still puzzled, Miaka followed Yui down the hallway to her own bedroom, wracking her brain trying to remember what in the world she'd borrowed that would engender the need for privacy.

As soon as the bedroom door was closed, Yui rounded on Miaka with a fierceness she hadn't seen since the time Yui had tricked her in the Shrine of Seiryuu. "All right, Miaka. Spill it. You're hiding something and you're going to tell me what it is!"

Miaka was speechless for a good long moment. She should have seen this coming. Yui was too smart and had known her too long to not realize she was hiding something. How exactly did one explain that they had to have copious amounts of sex in order to summon a giant red chicken to save the world?

Somehow, Miaka managed to fill Yui in on the 'deleted scenes' of what she already knew without passing out. As she listened, Yui's eyes grew as wide as they could and when they couldn't get any bigger, her jaw began to drop as well.

When Miaka was finished, Yui stood in silence long enough that Miaka began to worry she'd blown a gasket. Finally, she'd recovered enough to choke out, "And you just agreed to this? Now I know why you were being so evasive."

"I had no choice!" Miaka huffed, her cheeks coloring again.

"Uh huh." Yui narrowed her eyes slyly as she teased. "I'm sure their collective good looks had absolutely nothing to do with it?"

"Yui!" Miaka gasped, trying to remain serious before dissolving into giggles. "Okay so that definitely doesn't hurt." Gaining control again she added, "And… it won't be so bad. I'll be with Tamahome and the rest of the people I love."

Face bright with interest, Yui asked, "_Do_ you love the rest of them?"

Miaka's heart made its way to her throat as she considered Yui's question. "I… do." Her faced burned anew as she attempted to untangle her thoughts and explain the thing she'd been trying to figure out all day. "I don't know exactly when it started, but over the past five years my feelings for Tamahome and the others have…changed. I still love Tamahome, but I love everyone else too!" She admitted. "Each one of them is a part of me. Our connection runs deep...I'm only beginning to understand just how deeply."

"I see." Yui nodded her understanding, even though Miaka herself wasn't sure she understood what she'd just said. "How are you going to find the last three?"

"I'm not sure. Taiitsukun says the Seishi and Priestess call to each other." She pressed a hand to her mouth in thought. "Now that I have four of them with me, that connection and the call should be even stronger for finding the rest, don't you think?"

Yui shrugged. "I guess we'll see. What are you supposed to do with these four in the meantime?"

Miaka coughed and gestured for Yui to come closer, whispering, "Since Chichiri's had extensive spiritual training he's supposed to teach the rest of us the basics of Bou Chuu Jutsu so we can be ready for the ceremony."

"No way!" Yui squeaked, her hands flying up to cover her mouth in shock. "Really? Like Spiritual Sex-Ed?"

"Miaka!" There was a light tapping on her bedroom door before Nuriko stuck his head in. "Oh!" He eyed them with a mischievous grin. "What are you two girls yacking about, _hmmm_?"

Miaka and Yui shared a guilty look before chiming in unison. "Nothing! Just girl stuff."

Nuriko rolled his eyes and sighed, "Miaka, I dressed like a girl for eight whole years. I _know_ what that means." He shot Yui a meaningful look as he entered the room and closed the door. "So you know everything, am I right?"

"Well. Yeah." The blonde admitted sheepishly.

"Thought so." He inclined his head to Yui, his voice taking on a more serious note. "Don't worry, Yui. We'll take good care of Miaka."

With a snort, Yui said, "I'm not worried about that, you've all more than proven your devotion. But I just don't know about this new summoning ceremony. What nut job came up with that?" She made a face, making it clear that she was not impressed with this new turn of events.

Nuriko shrugged. "Well, Suzaku _is_ the god of love…" He let his words trail off, but winked roguishly at Miaka and waggled his eyebrows.

Miaka swatted her Seishi good-naturedly as she speculated, "Love is what brought Tamahome here originally. It's what brought all of you here now. It's the emotion that binds all of us together. If it's not powerful enough to grant wishes then I don't know what is."

"So…" Yui began. "Do you guys have to do it, like, one at a time or will you have to have an orgy or something?" She turned overly innocent blue eyes at Miaka, trying to keep a straight face and failing miserably.

Miaka sputtered. That was something she hadn't even thought about yet. Even if she had been kidding around with Nuriko and Tasuki she hadn't been seriously considering it! "This is embarrassing can we stop talking about it for now?" She pleaded. "Especially when my brother is in the next room?"

"All right," Yui relented. "But we'll continue this later!" Mimicking Nuriko's earlier eyebrow waggle she crooned, "I want to know allll the details!"

"Yui!" Miaka gasped, grabbing a pillow off the bed and chucking it at Yui's head.

The three of them finally rejoined the rest of the group who were currently discussing where Tasuki and Chichiri should stay.

"I have a spare bedroom." Keisuke offered. "We can't have any shenanigans going on now can we?"

Miaka stopped in her tracks, a bolt of icy fear racing up her spine. Did Keisuke know? Who in the world had been stupid enough to tell him? After a couple of heart pounding seconds, she realized her brother had only said it in jest, or he wouldn't have sounded so jovial.

"I have a spare room as well," Nuriko offered, "but my apartment's kind of a ways away."

"Thanks, but we'd really rather stay near Miaka." Tasuki crossed his arms, shifting away from the wall he'd been leaning against.

"Yeah I bet you would." Tamahome muttered, shooting Tasuki a dark look from his place on the floor.

"To protect her of course," Chichiri clarified.

Tamahome snorted, "Yeah? Who's gonna protect her from you?"

Holding up his hands in a gesture of peace, Keisuke interrupted before the two more volatile Seishi could get too riled up. "Tamahome! I'm sure she'll be fine. You guys traveled together all the time in the book. Why would this be any different?"

The pregnant silence that followed Keisuke's exclamation was the most uncomfortable thing Miaka could remember enduring for a good long while.

_Please no one say anything. Please…_

Thankfully, no one seemed inclined to spill the beans, including Tamahome. Grudgingly, he had to agree with Keisuke, crossing his arms and sulking in mute protest.

"Well, we'd love to stay, but before all of this happened we actually made plans to have dinner with my mother." Yui scrunched her face up in an apologetic grimace. "But we have plenty of time to help out tomorrow if you need us."

"Absolutely," Tetsuya agreed. "After all, I'm a romantic hero now too!"

Yui laughed and elbowed her boyfriend as Miaka showed them out. Leaning close to Miaka, the blonde whispered, "Keep me updated!"

Almost as soon as she'd closed the door behind Yui and Tetsuya, Tamahome stood, saying, "I have to leave too. I've got several reports for work due on Monday. If I don't get them done tonight there's no telling when I might get the opportunity. Especially now."

"It's okay, I understand," she said as she followed him just outside the door to the hallway, leaving the door open just a crack. "I'll be okay. I've got Chichiri and Tasuki with me."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Miaka opened her mouth to protest, or reassure him, possibly both, but Tamahome continued, a fist clenching in desperation. "I know I shouldn't be jealous. But I can't help it. Our love conquered everything. I just can't believe that Suzaku would ask us to throw that all away to summon him again."

Miaka bit her lip. She knew Tamahome was upset and she wanted to reassure him, let him know she still loved him—but she also didn't want to encourage expressions of his jealousy when they both knew it was counterproductive to what had to be done. "Maybe he doesn't see it as throwing it away. Maybe Suzaku sees it as sharing. Creating something greater than just the two of us," she suggested.

His eyes bored into hers, a clash of amethyst and moss green. "I still don't like it."

"I know. After everything we've been through it feels like betrayal," she admitted. It was the very thought she'd been struggling with since she'd learned of the new summoning ceremony. A glance behind her told her that Keisuke was starting to pay a little too much attention despite having three other people to distract him. "We'll talk more later, ok?" She whispered, leaning close to Tamahome. "I don't want Keisuke to hear."

Tamahome blinked at her close proximity, his eyes suddenly focusing on her lips and hardening with resolve.

Before Miaka could protest or even register what was happening, Tamahome had grabbed her. One hand came up to press against the back of her head, while the other at her waist tugged her close to him. His eyes closed as he fiercely pressed his lips to hers, causing a surprised whimper to escape her before she melted into him like she'd done so many times before.

She'd almost forgotten what a good kisser he was.

Tamahome held her weight easily as her knees weakened and she felt herself sag against him. Pressing his advantage, he slanted his mouth over hers again and again until she opened for him and he swept his tongue into her mouth, intending to remind her of just how strong his feelings were.

Miaka kissed him back, her hands curling into the fabric of his sleeves as the hand at her waist splayed possessively against her back. His touch nearly sent her into a tailspin; he'd reawakened all the desire she'd felt as a teenager. If she allowed this to go on much longer she'd be lost—and she had the feeling that was exactly his plan.

After a moment, she tried to pull away but the hand at the back of her head tightened in her loose hair and his kisses became more demanding, as though he were trying to brand her once and for all. She struggled then, in earnest, and finally, Tamahome pulled back, resting his forehead against hers as they both caught their breath.

"I love you, Miaka." His eyes burned into hers.

Eyes and heart filling, Miaka sniffled, "I love you too."

With a sigh, Tamahome released her, the hand that had been at the back of her head trailed past her cheek, stopping momentarily to brush his thumb over her now swollen lips. "I'll see you tomorrow." He promised.

Miaka nodded, watching as he turned and walked away down the hall.

Just as she was turning to head back into the apartment, Nuriko opened the door.

"You've got things to do too?" Miaka guessed.

"Unfortunately." Nuriko's violet eyes roamed her face, darkening slightly when he caught sight of her lips.

Realizing what he was looking at, Miaka pursed her lips, suddenly unable to look her Seishi in the eye. "Well then I'll see you tomorrow." She tucked an errant strand of hair behind an ear. "I'll call you and we'll set up a time to meet and go over things with everyone."

She flinched when Nuriko leaned forward, his lips just brushing her ear. "Sounds good," he said, his breath tickling her cheek. The look on his face was similar to the time in Hokkan at the Genbu memorial, when he'd refused to tell her what he'd been thinking. He straightened then, pausing only to press a soft kiss to her forehead.

Somehow, the sweet gesture made her just as flustered as Tamahome's impassioned kisses had, and she found herself unable to look Nuriko in the eye for a long moment.

Chuckling softly, Nuriko ruffled her hair and disappeared down the hallway, sending her a last, heavy-lidded look over his shoulder before he got on the elevator.

Upon re-entering her apartment, Miaka found Keiksuke in the middle of tearing apart her kitchen. Pots, pans, and various food stuff littered the countertop and he'd managed to find the apron she never used as well as several cooking utensils she'd forgotten she even owned. "Miaka, where do you keep your—never mind. I found it." Her brother disappeared into the cabinets again as he continued his search.

"Keisuke what are you doing?" Miaka sighed, trying not to let him know how annoyed she was at the absolute devastation of her kitchen. She was still a terrible cook, but she liked to keep her kitchen clean!

"I thought I'd whip up some authentic Japanese cuisine for our two dimension hopping companions!" Keisuke grinned, turning on the stove with a somewhat manic gleam in his eye.

_Oh boy._

* * *

_Oh boy,_ was right.

Keisuke managed to turn out a delicious meal for the four of them in a very short amount of time. Miaka had to admit she was impressed, despite the fact he'd turned her kitchen into a complete war zone.

Tasuki and Chichiri ate everything they were offered with gusto, a fact which pleased Keisuke to no end. Miaka hid a smile behind her bowl of rice. Keisuke still treated her Seishi with the reverence one would hold for any legendary heroic character, and it amused Miaka greatly. He was like a little kid at Disneyland.

Thankfully, this time Keisuke cleaned up after himself, keeping up a flow of happy chatter as he worked. "I hope those clothes I brought will fit you two. If not, have Miaka let me know in the morning so I can try and get you something else." A slightly crazed look appeared in his eye as an idea hit him. "And if that doesn't work we can always go shopping!"

Miaka shook her head. Sometimes she wondered if her brother had missed his calling in life. Teaching Ancient Chinese studies was something he excelled at, but sometimes Miaka thought he might have done well as a fashion consultant or something. Maybe if he ever got tired of teaching he could get a job with Nuriko?

As Keisuke finished cleaning up, Miaka began to rummage through the hall closet until she'd unearthed a pile of extra blankets and pillows. She gave them a cursory sniff and was pleased to find they were still clean.

"What're those for, Mi-chan?" Tasuki asked as she set the pile gently on the couch.

"They're for whoever ends up sleeping on the couch." Miaka fluffed one of the pillows idly. "I've only got the one spare room and I figured you guys didn't really want to share a bed." She laughed softly, glancing up to see Tasuki giving her a heated stare as though to say there was _one_ person he wouldn't mind sharing a bed with.

Tearing her gaze away, Miaka began making the couch up like her mother had taught her to do for guests: one sheet tucked over the couch and another spread out on top with a blanket and pillow. She could feel Tasuki and Chichiri's eyes on her as they watched her go through the motions and she couldn't help but feel self-conscious.

Clearing her throat nervously, Miaka turned to find that Keisuke had finished cleaning up and was preparing to leave. "Leaving so soon?" She asked, suddenly unsure if she really wanted to see her brother go. It was nearing nine at night, and he did have to get all the way back to his apartment…but suddenly the idea of being left alone in her apartment with Tasuki and Chichiri was seeming a lot more dangerous than she'd originally thought.

"Yeah, it's been a long day and if we're going to get an early start on things tomorrow I'm gonna need to make sure I'm well-rested!" He hugged her lightly and bid the two remaining Seishi goodbye.

"See you in the morning!" He chirped, exiting the apartment and closing the door behind him.

Miaka bolted the door after her brother left, turning to see the bandit and the monk watching her quietly from their seats.

Hand behind her head, she forced a laugh, "Well, Keisuke's right. It is getting pretty late. It's probably about time the rest of us turned in too!"

Tasuki and Chichiri shared a look, giving Miaka the distinct feeling that she was being plotted against.

"Miaka—" Chichiri began, intending to finally ascertain the answer to his question and removing his mask as though to signal his desire for a serious conversation.

His Priestess ignored him, instead bustling around to make sure that she'd procured enough blankets and pillows for the two of them. "Are you guys sure you'll be warm enough?" She asked, not really waiting for an answer before continuing to fiddle with the assorted blankets. "I can always get more blankets if you need them. My room's right at the end of the hall. Don't hesitate to ask if you want anything."

She chose that moment to look up and was instantly sorry she had. The unexpected heat in both her Seishi's gazes had her realizing the unintended implications of her words. Tasuki looked as though he'd be happy to take her up on that, but the presence of Chichiri was forcing him to hold his tongue.

Chichiri, on the other hand, seemed torn. His mask was still in hand, baring his usually unreadable face. His good eye swam with a multitude of emotions before he settled on protective concern. "Miaka, you know we have to talk about it sooner or later."

Trying her best to hide her anxiety, Miaka swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. Maybe he didn't know. Maybe she was giving him too much credit. "About?"

"About the fact that you're a virgin." Chichiri said frankly, managing somehow to maintain eye contact with her as he spoke.

_Of course he knew._

Cheeks flaming, Miaka looked away, sticking her nose in the air. "I don't really see how that's any of your business."

Now it was Chichiri's turn to be embarrassed. "It matters, Miaka. None of us would ever do anything to hurt you, but things will be much easier if you feel like you can be honest with us. The first time can be really unnerving, right Tasuki?"

The ex-bandit looked startled at having been included, but he didn't shy away from the question. "Chiri's right, Mi-chan. My first time was in a brothel when I first joined up with the gang at Mount Reikaku. Wasn't exactly romantic or memorable." His amber eyes were somber. "We want ya to have a real good experience."

"Exactly." Chichiri's eye darkened with memory. "After Kouran and Hikou died, I had a few really bad years. I did a lot of things I'm not proud of. Things I look back on now with regret. I don't want that to happen to you Miaka. Are you still sure you want to do this?"

"So you really don't _mind_?" Miaka asked shyly. "Either of you?"

Tasuki shrugged, his expression bewildered. "Mind? Why in the hell would we mind?"

"Well," Miaka fiddled with the blankets again. "I'm not going to know what to do. It probably won't be very good for you guys. Especially since all of you seem to have some sort of experience. What if…what if I disappoint you?"

The blankets were taken from her gently and set aside as large hands covered her own. Shyly, she looked up to see Chichiri looking down at her with earnestness. "Nothing you do could ever disappoint me."

Not to be outdone, Tasuki piped up, "Me neither." He smiled at her in such a way that her toes curled reflexively. "In fact, I'm lookin' forward to teaching ya a few things, Mi-chan."

Miaka laughed, wiping away the tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes. "I'm so glad to see you two again." Without thinking, she flung herself into Chichiri's arms, pressing her face into his chest. She stayed there for a moment, relishing the feel of his warmth and his scent before pulling back to look into the monks face.

The strength of emotions she saw there surprised her. Perhaps because he always wore his mask, Chichiri always seemed reserved and at peace. Now that the mask was off—laying forgotten at their feet—Miaka was able to see the swirling desire that he normally kept under such tight control.

The idea that Chichiri might want her was oddly thrilling. "Good night, Chichiri." With a measured breath, Miaka disengaged herself from the monk entirely and turned to Tasuki.

This time, Miaka had no qualms about throwing herself into Tasuki's embrace. "Good night, Tasuki," she murmured, her words muffled against his chest as he held her to him.

Tasuki's arms tightened momentarily as he wished her good night. He didn't hold her for long though, practically shoving her towards the hallway and towards her bedroom. "Now git to bed."

When she glanced back at him, slightly hurt, she saw the naked lust on her Seishi's face and knew that he'd only done it to try and preserve her innocence.

With a nod to both Seishi, she turned and high-tailed it to her room and firmly shut the door, leaning against it theatrically for a moment.

Having the two of them stay with her was one of the absolute best, or one of the absolute worst ideas she'd ever had in her life.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

To be continued…

* * *

AN: Thanks to Kitty Lynne again for being the world's best beta. *stares hard at KL* Please share with me your word choice powers! Also thanks to her for giving me the courage to even write this. Otherwise I'd have probably skipped to all the fun parts and it would have never left my computer.

I am so glad to see other people enjoying this! Now my brain is trying to run away with me by planning an AU of the original series but with the same premise of requiring sexy-times to summon the gods. However I think that one might turn out fairly dark at times and I don't know if I want to write that kind of thing. Yet.

If any of you have any questions, feel free to ask them and I will do my best to answer them either in my notes or at the very least assure you it will be answered eventually in the fic itself.

See you for chapter 4!

Also: Can someone please control the Monk? Chichiri has managed to take over this chapter as well as most of the next. He is a devious, devious man and he must be stopped.


	4. Chapter 4

Lady Aurora Nocturne, BB, Miyukino, and Kitty Lynne are awesome! I want to thank you all for being loyal readers and reviewers. It means a lot—I've been out of the fanfiction writing game for a while and I'd forgotten how freaking inspiring it is to have people review—ranting about the cliffhanger I wrote or speculating on what torture I shall inflict on the characters next. Or suggestions even! I do have the entire thing outlined, but that doesn't mean there's not room for improvement!

Art of Love

Chapter Four

"_Miaka__…" _

_Tonight her lover's voice was smooth and __even,__caressing __her like a comforting wave,__bringing inner warmth __akin to drinking hot cocoa in the winter. A delicious shiver of sensation went down her spine, and she found herself melting helplessly against his warm chest._

_His breath stirred her bangs, large yet elegant hands rising to cup her face, trembling slightly as he gently tilted her face towards his. A long moment passed before soft lips,__quivering with barely restrained emotion__, brushed hers._

_Lips burning with __need and __frustration,__Miaka __rose up on her tip toes to press her mouth firmly against his, smiling as he froze with a stunned gasp. Pleased that she'd been able to surprise him,__she __lifted her hands to grasp his collar, dragging him down to her height as she kissed him again._

_The hands cradling her face tightened and her lover let out a low moan, his hands sliding back into her loose hair and fisting possessively i__n the strands __as he took control of the kiss. His sudden intensity startled __Miaka__, but she allowed him to continue __as his lips left hers to __search out the bare skin of her neck to leave a trail of searing kisses in his wake._

_The room blurred and she found herself stumbling backwards onto a large silken bed, she and her lover's arms and legs intertwining beneath a curtain of soft hair._

_Moments passed. The two of them had disrobed, though s__he wasn't sure how or when that had happened. The two of them undulated against one another, allowing the heat between them to build steadily. Hands stroked and grasped for purchase, committing the unique dips and curves of each other's bodies to memory. Long fingers trailed between her legs, discovering her hidden bud of pleasure and caressing her ever so gently, their owner learning very quickly just what pulled the sweet cries of delight from her lips. Penetrating eyes held her gaze as __Miaka __gasped for air, her lover's gentle yet commanding presence and velvet over steel body had turned her into a shuddering bundle of frayed nerves._

_Satisfied at her response, her lover positioned himself against her, to finally take her after all his teasing. __Miaka __moaned, opening herself up to accept him—she was more than ready. There was a moment where her lover paused, pressed flush against her, his entire being quaking with want. Then, slowly, carefully, he slid inside. His motions were painstakingly controlled, as though afraid he was going to hurt her._

_Miaka __clutched herself to him tightly, her back arching and her hips lifting in an effort to seat him even deeper as he began to move. Turning his head he captured her lips in a searing kiss, his tongue darting into her mouth in desperation as his hips began their slow and powerful movement against her own._

Miaka was perfectly aware she was dreaming again, and she had absolutely no desire to wake up. Instead an intense desire to name her lover overcame her. She knew him. She knew she did, but his name was nothing more than a distant echo.

_As she grasped for his name, the dream began to fade. Brows furrowing, she tried to hang onto it, wrapping her legs around her lover's waist and allowing him deeper access as he muffled a groan against her shoulder. Her insides were overheated, her center one scorching molten puddle of…_

_Her entire body quaked as her lover began to shudder with his own release. Shivering,__Miaka __gripped his shoulders, nails biting into his skin __as...oh gods...as…_

The hated alarm began to buzz.

_No! No! Not now!_

Rolling over with a groan, Miaka scowled at the clocks digital face as her hand shot out and turned it off, hoping that it hadn't startled either of her guests awake. She didn't want Tasuki or Chichiri running into her bedroom right now, and she hoped to Suzaku she hadn't already awakened them by making untoward noises in her sleep.

Sitting up, she took in her disheveled appearance in the full length mirror that stood in the corner of her room. Her hair was mussed and her cheeks were flushed. Somehow in her sleep she'd managed to work one arm out of her tank top, which was hiked up around her neck. She fixed it with a blush, and after making sure the rest of her clothes were where they were supposed to be, she stumbled her way into the hallway and down to the bathroom.

After relieving herself and splashing some water on her face, she decided a drink was in order and tip-toed towards the kitchen—all the while silently cursing the fact that she'd forgotten to replace the water cup in the bathroom.

Tasuki was sprawled out in his typical fashion, arms and legs akimbo as he slept. The sheets and blanket had ended up on the floor and Miaka was treated to the sight of her bandit Seishi's bare chest and chiseled abs as he breathed deeply in slumber. When they'd traveled together in Konan, she'd seen him shirtless many times, but that had been when he was a somewhat gangly teenager and she'd only had eyes for Tamahome. But now...she couldn't help but stare. Five years had broadened Tasuki's chest and the powerful muscles in his shoulders and arms had developed into fine works of art.

Miaka swallowed and shook her head, padding the rest of the way to the kitchen to get her water. That stupid dream had left her in a rather unfortunate state of arousal and the sight of Tasuki's amazingly defined pectorals was not helping the situation.

_Ok, Miaka. Back to bed._

She'd almost made it back to her room when she collided with Chichiri as he exited the guest room. Luckily, she managed to hang onto her glass of water, thanks in part to the steadying hands that reached out to grab her automatically.

"Thanks," she whispered. "I didn't wake you did I?"

Chichiri's mask was back in place this morning as he shook his head cheerfully. "It's morning, no da! I'm always up early for morning prayers."

"Right." Miaka lightly rapped herself on the head with her knuckles in chagrin. She'd forgotten about that. Although now that she thought about it, she was curious how he always managed to get up so early every morning without an alarm. Did the man have super fine tuned circadian rhythms?

He sure did have finely tuned _muscl__es._Unlike the rest of her Seishi, she had rarely seen Chichiri shirtless during their travels—mostly because the man was always the first up and the last down. Now, Miaka's eyes wandered across his torso, utterly fascinated at how his pale skin stretched over lean muscles as he moved.

As her thoughts ran away with her, Miaka realized she was staring and quickly averted her eyes. Self-consciously, she fixed the shoulder of her tank top that had fallen down.

Thankfully, Chichiri didn't seem to notice her staring. "Ano, Miaka, how do I get cleaned up?" He made a helpless gesture towards the bathroom. "Tamahome showed me the toilet thing and the sink, but he never did show me how to go about bathing, no da."

"Of course." She said, and lead the monk into the bathroom and to the tub/shower combination. She explained how the plug worked and demonstrated the knobs for him, adjusting the tap to where she generally liked it in order to give him a reference.

"Ah, now I see."

She dried her hands on a nearby towel. "I can understand where you were confused. This faucet is different from the sink. It's all one lever instead of two."

Chichiri nodded. "Thank you."

"Towels are in this cabinet," she said, opening it to display said towels and various toiletries. "Just be careful," she added. "The floor can get slippery when wet."

Chichiri smiled. "If I have trouble, I guess I'll have to count on you to save me, no da!"

Miaka blushed at the idea of having to save an injured naked Chichiri from the clutches of the bathtub and shower curtain...but that would never happen! Giggling at the absurdity of it, she said, "I never had to save you. You were always the one saving me."

Chichiri's masked face became serious—as serious as was possible for its fox-like features to get. "That's not true. You've saved me in more ways than you know. Even before we met." His voice was solemn as he admitted quietly, "After my fiancé and friend's deaths, the idea of your existence gave me a new purpose in life. Without that, I would not be the man you know. You saved my life, Miaka."

"But… that was way before I even entered the Universe of the Four Gods. How could I have done anything to help you then?" She asked.

"After Hikou and Kouran betrayed me, I spent a few years in a pretty dark place. I'd basically stopped believing that truly good people existed anymore. I couldn't take it, and I even tried to…"

As he trailed off, Miaka covered her mouth with a hand, silently filling in the rest. Chichiri had tried to kill himself? Eyes wide with horror and sorrow, she listened as her Seishi continued.

"Taitsukun found me then and the Nyan Nyan's nursed me back to health. I was angry and tried to leave, but Taiitsukun wouldn't let me until I heard her out. She said she'd teach me everything about using my powers if I stopped feeling sorry for myself and committed to my destiny as a Suzaku Seishi. Of course I needed some convincing—so Taiitsukun showed me the mirror of the future."

Miaka gasped. "She has one of those?"

Chichiri nodded, his lips quirking in a smile. "She showed me you. Or at least, images of what might be, no da. She was very clear that the future is always in flux, but I was able to see enough. Your courage and loyalty struck a chord in me, Miaka. The idea that Suzaku's chosen Priestess would be full of the qualities I had ceased to believe existed in anyone is the only thing that kept me going, na no da." He removed his mask, setting it on the countertop and fixing her with an intense look. "I thought if there was a chance that someone like that might exist, then I had to protect them. And when I met you, Miaka, I knew my life was justified. Your heart is the biggest and purist I've ever known. You repeatedly put yourself in danger to save your friends and kept giving even when you had nothing left to give."

"Ch-Chichiri!" Miaka breathed, looking away in embarrassment. "That's very flattering." Okay so if was more than flattering; she was honored that Chichiri would think so highly of her. Hadn't he been the one to scold her for being irresponsible so many years ago? She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat, finding herself quite unable to give voice to the strong emotions that suddenly welled up at his admission. "You exaggerate though. I'm plenty selfish."

Chichiri reached out and tucked a stubborn piece of hair behind Miaka's ear, allowing his fingers to linger by the curve of her cheek. "Sometimes it's okay to be selfish."

Compelled by his soft voice, Miaka looked up, the action pressing her cheek into his hand. His eye narrowed, the mahogany color deepening as his pupil dilated. Miaka bit her lip, and shyly mirrored his gesture, raising a hand to brush lightly over his left cheek, just below his scar. He closed his eye and swallowed hard as she touched him.

"I wish you'd leave that thing off more frequently," she confessed. "I like being able to see what you're thinking."

"Which is _exactly_ why I wear it." Chichiri's voice had deepened, and the fingers on her cheek twitched restlessly before he pulled away, opening his eye again to reveal a look of dark promise. Miaka's tummy performed a complicated series of somersaults as she realized just what he meant.

"You should go now, no da." He said gently, one hand gripping the doorknob with white knuckles.

Nodding, Miaka backed away before fleeing to the living room where Tasuki continued to sleep, oblivious to everything that had transpired.

She took the opportunity to start a pot of coffee in the kitchen before returning and seating herself on the floor, back resting against the couch as the sprawling bandit was taking up the entirety of the cushions. Knees drawn up to her chest, she tried her best to forget the fact that there was a very naked man in her shower right now.

_Peaches. Why do I smell peaches?_

Tasuki rubbed his face with a hand, trying to drag himself out of the deep sleep he'd fallen into. This couch thing in Miaka's world was better than the softest bed he'd ever slept on in Konan. He'd have to see if they could procure one for his room back at Mount Reikaku.

Memories of the past twenty-four hours assaulted him and he realized with a start that he wouldn't be living at Mount Reikaku anymore, or on the road with Chichiri. He'd be living on Mount Taikyoukou with Miaka.

Well, Miaka _and_ all of his brother Seishi technically, but that small inconvenience couldn't hold a candle to the fact that once they summoned Suzaku a second time that he'd be able to see his beloved Priestess every day for the rest of his life. That thought alone made him sinfully happy, even if he would have to share her with everyone else.

Tasuki frowned. The more he thought about it, the more he disliked that particular detail. Ever since he'd met Miaka, a fierce sense of protectiveness had permeated his thoughts in regard to the beautiful brunette with the jewel-like eyes. He'd defended her feelings, and gotten his ass kicked by evil Tamahome for Suzaku's sake! And he hadn't even known her that long!

At the time he'd just written it off as the call of the Priestess to her Seishi, now, years later, Tasuki was able to identify those feelings as the beginning of his long fall off the short pier of love. Even after Miaka had gone back to her world, he hadn't been able to forget about her. Her face haunted his dreams, eventually turning into almost nightly erotic epics wherein he pleasured her until both of them were too exhausted to move.

* * *

He groaned sleepily, heat pooling in his loins. Seriously. Who the Hell had peaches? Assholes. Didn't they know that peaches reminded him of…

Eyes snapping open, Tasuki came face to face with the back of an auburn head, silky locks parted to expose a tantalizing expanse of a pale neck and shoulders. The heat in his gut suddenly sparked into a full blown fire at the sight. The number of times he'd imagined running his teeth along that skin as he tangled his fingers in that hair were too numerous to count.

_Miaka?_

Still half asleep, h reached out and grabbed his Miko around her shoulders, hauling her back towards himself to press his face into her hair. He breathed deep. A dopey grin crossed his face as his grip tightened.

Yep. She was real.

"Aiya!"

The unexpected screech ripped him the rest of the way into reality. Tasuki rolled forward in surprise, his legs becoming tangled in the sheet and blanket Miaka had provided for him last night as he tried to stand, then lost his balance.

He landed right on top of Miaka.

He lay still for a moment, his nose buried in her pleasant smelling hair, stunned by the sudden change in position. They lay length to length, his bare chest pressing her slight form into the carpet, one of his knees parting her legs in an intimate fashion. The arm he'd wrapped around her shoulders had ended up trapped beneath the Priestess, holding her waist and hips flush against his own. Realizing he might be crushing her, Tasuki immediately propped himself up at the elbow by her head with his free arm to avoid pressing on her with his full weight.

Miaka blinked up at him, green eyes huge in the dim predawn light. Her hands had escaped the blanket cloister and were resting half curled on each side of her head. Tasuki closed his eyes, pressing his face into her neck in an attempt to will the instantaneous rush of desire away.

_Fuuuuuck_. He was as hard as a rock. And he was pressed right up against her thigh.

The red flush gracing Miaka's cheeks told him she'd definitely noticed. Shyly, she looked away, her hands coming up to press gently against his chest.

Tasuki grunted, intending to roll off of her, but unable to do so as he was waylaid by the intricate tangle of sheets that had managed to wrap around both of them. He clenched his jaw, every little movement caused their bodies to brush together. He was practically sweating with the effort to not just give in and kiss her senseless.

The distinct sound of the water in the bathroom shutting off alerted them to the fact that Chichiri was almost done with his shower.

Tasuki sighed. Rolling suddenly, he switched places with Miaka so he was lying on his back and she was the one sprawled across him. Now that she was on top, her hair dangled in his face, taunting him just as badly as when he'd had her underneath him.

Surprised at the change, Miaka gasped, then laughed, her small body vibrating against his in a most pleasant way.

Now that his hands were free, Tasuki was finally able to disentangle the two of them from the sheet and blanket. "There. You're free to go." He said with a grin, flashing his prominent fangs at her.

Miaka scrambled up and away from him just as the door to the bathroom opened and a freshly showered Chichiri exited, wearing one of the pairs of loose sweat pants Keisuke had brought. "It's all yours, no da!" he chirped merrily.

"Dibs!" Miaka cried, dashing for her bedroom and popping back out a few seconds later with a small pile of clothes. "Sorry, Tasuki! I won't take long I promise!" And slammed the door.

Tasuki wasn't sure what to think of her sudden departure. It was apparent that she was as attracted to him as he was to her, but last night's revelation of Miaka's still being a virgin and her fear of disappointing them made her somewhat mixed signals make a lot more sense. She wanted to, but she was also scared.

_Well I'll show her she doesn't have ta be afraid. Especially of me_. Tasuki thought firmly, his lips twitching with a self-satisfied grin.

"Wipe that perverted smile off your face, no da."

But first, he was going to kill the Monk.

* * *

The shower didn't help much. Not when she knew that Chichiri and Tasuki were right on the other side of the door. What was wrong with her? Pheromones? It had to be pheromones or something. Either that or the whole second summoning idea had truly addled her brain. Sure, it'd been kind of fun joking with Nuriko and Tasuki last night, but she wasn't sure she could take having this kind of reaction to all of her Seishi. Her heart would surely give out and she'd die. Probably before summoning Suzaku.

After scrubbing herself to a shiny pink, Miaka dried off and dressed quickly, throwing her hair up into a simple ponytail. It was still too early to call anybody like she'd planned, how was she going to survive being alone with Chichiri and Tasuki until someone else came to rescue her?

Then again, as long as they were both in the room, she'd probably be safe. Even though Tasuki was likely to give her a leer or two like the night before, it would be nothing compared to what she'd experienced this morning.

She could handle a little flirting! No big deal!

Just as long as the both of them kept their hands to themselves everything would be fine.

"Bathrooms free!" she called, knowing that Chichiri would be able to teach Tasuki how to use the shower while she grabbed a few extra moments alone in her room.

Safe in her room, Miaka bought herself time by making her bed and straightening up. Things she normally avoided, but currently seemed much better than facing Chichiri alone again so soon after he'd given her that _look_. Just thinking about it made her heart pound funny, and after what had happened with Tasuki during the short time Chichiri had been in the shower, it wasn't wise to tempt fate.

_Oh come on!_ The rational part of her brain chided her. _You can do this. You traipsed all over Konan with these guys and were absolutely fine. Suck it up, Miaka! Get out there and just act like nothing's changed!_

_Right. Nothing's changed. _

Except, of course, that everything _had_.

Scrounging up all her courage, Miaka made her way to the living room to find Chichiri, still in her brother's sweat pants, poking through the various cabinets—probably searching for potential breakfast items.

"I'd offer to make you something," She said, walking into the kitchen to stand behind him. "But we both know my cooking is awful."

To his credit, Chichiri managed not to wince. "That's ok, no da. I can wait." He turned abruptly and Miaka had to take a step back to avoid him accidently running into her. "In the meantime we can work on our strategy."

She cocked her head in question. "Strategy?"

"On how to find the others."

"I was wondering how we were going to go about that," she admitted. "Last time we had Taiitsukun's mirror and the scroll."

"This time we know who we're looking for. We just need to be able to know where to look." Chichiri explained. "I was thinking about what Taiitsukun said yesterday. If our energies call to one another, no da, then perhaps if you concentrate hard enough you can call them to you. Bring them into the area, you know?"

Miaka squared her shoulders in determination. "It's worth a try."

"Good! Let's try it now."

He directed her to sit on the floor, legs crossed and hands resting gently on her knees with palms up. Once he was satisfied, he took a seat directly across from her, same position, his knees nearly touching hers.

"Okay, Miaka, you've never had any experience sensing chi before today, correct?" At her nod, Chichiri continued, "So first I want you to focus on your breathing."

"Okay."

Miaka closed her eyes and focused on the steady rhythm of her breath. After a few moments her body relaxed and she became more aware of the beating of her heart. Chichiri seemed to sense this, because he spoke again, "Now focus on your pulse. Feel your own chi flowing along with your blood. Follow its ebb and flow."

Miaka's brow furrowed. Her pulse sounded in her ears and thrummed thoughout her body. Separating that feeling from the tingling of her chi was a little harder to do and she lost her concentration several times. Once she managed to find and hold onto it, Chichiri moved on.

"Now, focus on me."

She cracked an eye. "You?"

Chichiri's eyes remained closed. "As practice. This way you can get a feel for singling out one of the Seishi to be able to call them to you."

"Ah. I understand." Miaka closed her eyes again, but this time turned her thoughts towards Chichiri. Because he was sitting so close, she was able to feel him immediately. The unique energy signature that enveloped the monk was as distinct as a finger print, if not more so. It couldn't be seen but it was Chichiri without a doubt.

"Good. Now reach out to me with your chi." Miaka cracked an eye again, unsure how to comply with the direction. With a frown, she stretched her chi, using only her mind and found Chichiri's chi was as a tangible force. Softly she brushed along the edges of it, unsure how to proceed.

Chichiri's aura touched hers playfully, the sensation raising the hairs on Miaka's arms and neck. Involuntarily, she shivered and pulled back.

"Okay, now you know what I feel like. If you ever need to call me, focus on that feeling and I'll be able to use our link to come to you." The monk told her. "Now, think of one of the Seishi we haven't found—His Highness, for example. Focus on the way he made you feel, his gentleness and strength."

Miaka scrunched her face up in concentration, remembering the sound of Hotohori's voice and how she'd always marveled at how he could be so gentle and intense at the same time. The depth of his feelings for her had scared her when she was younger, but now the memory of his fervent words of love sent her heart aflutter.

The memory of his breath in her ear and the heavy weight of him pressing her into the bed sheet's rose unbidden and she let out a shaky breath. Even at his most passionate there'd always been a modicum of restraint belying his actions, as though he were afraid of hurting her.

Guilt consumed her for a moment. He'd been afraid of hurting her when she was the one who'd hurt him. At the time her feelings for Tamahome had drowned out the possibility of anything else, but now… Miaka swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, promising herself that when she did find Hotohori again that he would know of the depth of her feelings for him.

"And Chiriko and Mitsukake."

The image of the smallest Suzaku Seishi made her smile. Chiriko had always been so sweet to her. The younger boy had impressed and even intimidated Miaka at times because of his intelligence and she'd appreciated that he never let his smarts go to his head. He'd never treated her like she was stupid or acted like an insufferable know-it-all the way Yui sometimes could.

What would he be like now? Nuriko and Tamahome were the same age as they would have been in the book, but Taiitsukun had said some of the Seishi might be a different age. How would they recognize him if that were the case? Miaka certainly didn't look the same as she did when she was thirteen. The idea of anything other than loving Chiriko as a friend was, at the very least, unnatural.

_I just have to trust in the power of Suzaku. Our connections are strong. We will find him and Hotohori and Mitsukake._

Mitsukake's face appeared in her mind's eye and Miaka held back a laugh at what a difference a haircut and shave had made for the man. Their first meeting hadn't gone so well, the scuffle had been pretty intense. Miaka still remembered him yanking the trout out of her hands with ease. Of course, she hadn't given in easily and had pummeled him with her tiny fists, pulling at his robes and screeching like a harpy at the loss of her meal—all of which Mitsukake had blithely ignored. She was sure he hadn't even had to try. His huge form had towered over her, her fists bouncing off of him like rain despite the fact he'd clearly been holding back.

After he'd revealed his identity and joined the Suzaku Seven, he'd seemed content to remain in the background, a silent and sturdy presence in contrast to her more flamboyant warriors. Though he'd always been there to help, she'd rarely sought him out for anything in particular. Now she deeply regretted it, and made a silent vow that once they found him again she would make a greater effort to get to know him.

A blush heated Miaka's cheeks as she remembered the requirements for the ceremony and that she would be getting to know him very well—in more ways than one. The thought of Mitsukake's large form, brought a feeling of uneasiness as well as curiosity regarding exactly how the mechanics of their extreme size difference and strength might work.

_Stop. There will be time for that after you find them!_

Spiritual energy swirled around Miaka now, building with the intensity of her emotions and longing for her missing Seishi. Her entire being tingled with the gathered chi.

"Now, Miaka. Let it go."

She did as Chichiri asked, sighing with relief as she released pent up energy. But the sudden loss also made her feel light-headed and weak. She slumped forward, catching herself with her hands, her head hanging so low she was almost resting it in Chichiri's lap.

She looked up at him through half-lidded green eyes. "Was that all right?"

"You did great," he assured her, hands gripping her upper arms to keep her from falling on her face.

Miaka's smile conveyed her thanks. The monk eased his grip, and began rubbing her arms in a soothing manner. Relaxing into his hands was all too easy, and before she knew it, a low moan had escaped her lips.

As if summoned by the sound, a boisterous voice broke the tranquility.

"What the hell is going on here?"

To be continued...

* * *

AN: Well. Chichiri did it again. He's managed to take over a lot of this chapter. Tasuki managed to gain a little bit of the spotlight too though! I've noticed about half of my readers are from the US and the other half are from the Philippines! I hope everyone is enjoying this as much as I'm enjoying working on it. I'm on vacation this week so it might be a while before chapter 5 is up, hopefully no more than two weeks.


	5. Chapter 5

Yusagi! So glad to see you! I missed you! *intense stare* You know where there are other fics like this one? Where are they? I can has link? *puppy eyes*

I love reading all of your reviews and it's especially nice to see the familiar names popping up! You all rock!

So sorry this took longer than the last few chapters to get out. After my vacation work decided that after a week off I was obviously well rested enough to handle a bajillion times more work. *scowl* So there was no energy for a while there.

Again-KittyLynne is best beta. She gets all the awards. :) She puts up with my shit and random ramblings.

Also my roommate: She reads all this with a straight face. Well. Most of the time. Except for when she has wine. Then all bets are off. **Note: Stumbling over a word and then taking another sip of wine 'because your mouth is dry' does not improve your reading skills.

Anyway. Onto the fic!

Art of Love

Chapter Five

Tasuki's shout startled Miaka so much that she sat up too fast, lost her balance, and ended up tumbling backwards onto her elbows, nearly bringing Chichiri with her. Luckily, the monk had enough presence of mind to keep himself upright.

"Tasuki, do you think they heard you in Konan, no da?" He asked wryly, shifting to a kneeling position so he could help Miaka up.

"I'm okay." Miaka asserted, and pushed the monk's hands away as she righted herself. Chichiri let her go, but hovered nearby. The Priestess brushed her bangs out of her face and turned to look at Tasuki, a bright smile pasted on her lips. "Chichiri was teaching me how to call the rest of the Seishi to me." She explained, trying not to let her gave drop to the place where Keisuke's sweat pants hung low on her Seishi's hips.

The bandit seemed to have gotten over the shock of seeing her and Chichiri in what Miaka knew was a very compromising position. Nowhere near as bad as what had happened with Tasuki certainly, but bad enough that Miaka felt awkward and self-conscious.

This was terrible. What did her Seishi think of her, just falling all over each of them every chance she got? What had happened to her self-respect? Did she really have so little control? And why couldn't of them have put a damned shirt on, anyway?

Breakfast! That was the answer. Food would fix everything. She was sure she could find something edible somewhere. And if not, she'd just take them down the street to one of the many diners that had popped up in her neighborhood.

Jumping up, Miaka started for the kitchen, only to stop in her tracks when a sickening wave of heat and nausea sent her reeling. Her vision grayed out, and for one terrifying second she wasn't sure where her feet were. She was vaguely aware of stumbling and of falling before everything went completely black.

The next thing she was aware of was a strong embrace, hands that shook her gently but firmly, and Tasuki's frantic roaring above her head.

"What the _fuck_ did you do to her, Chichiri? Miaka? Miaka wake up! I swear to Suzaku if she's hurt I will personally pluck that rooster tail off your head and shove it up your ass!"

"Please don't fight." Opening her eyes, Miaka realized she was being cradled against Tasuki's chest_. He must have caught me as I went down. He always did have fast reflexes._ "I'm awake and I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" The bandit's grip on her tightened a fraction, his amber eyes boring into hers.

Nodding, Miaka wriggled and struggled to sit up, her gaze searching out Chichiri, who knelt on her other side. The monk's hands were moving restlessly, as if he would like to touch her to ensure she was all right, but the way Tasuki was hunched over her effectively cut off access for the other Seishi. "Did I pass out?" She asked.

Chichiri nodded, his brows knitting together. "I think you used too much energy sending out that call, no da." He reached out a tentative hand, and though Tasuki's eyes narrowed a fraction, he allowed Chichiri to rest it on Miaka's forehead.

"Will she be okay?" Tasuki growled.

The monk nodded. "She's just not used to using her chi like that, no da. With rest, she'll recover in a couple of hours or so."

"A couple of hours?" Miaka wailed. "But we're supposed to go out and start searching today! We can't waste any time!"

Chichiri pursed his lips, his eyes raising to meet Tasuki's over the top of their Priestess's head. "Well, there is one way for you to get better faster." He said. "Now is as good a time as any to start training the two of you."

Miaka's green eyes widened. "You mean... Bou Chuu Jutsu?"

The monk made a face. "Well, kind of. I will teach you the basic concept on a smaller scale. Chi can be exchanged through touching or kissing as well. The more contact, the better the exchange—that's why Bou Chuu Jutsu is so effective."

"I see." Miaka flushed, remembering how Amiboshi had shared some of his own chi with her when she'd been so ill in Sairo. A shiver went through her at the memory, and she wondered exactly how he'd learned to do it. Given what she knew about the Seiryuu Seishi, it probably hadn't been a pleasant first experience. "If Tasuki is ready, it's all right with me."

Tasuki nodded, looking serious. "All right. Just tell me what to do."

* * *

Tasuki knew he was holding Miaka tighter than necessary, but he didn't care. Seeing her eyes roll back like that and the color drain out of her face was one of the most terrifying things he'd experienced—and that included Taiitsukun! His quick reflexes allowed him to catch her before she'd really fallen, an instinctive reaction Tasuki attributed to their Priestess and Seishi bond more than anything else. She hadn't been out for more than a couple of seconds, but Tasuki would swear his heart stopped.

His cheeks colored with belated embarrassment at what had followed. When Chichiri tried to help, Tasuki had nearly ripped the other Seishi's hand off in the heat of the moment. As far as he'd been concerned, the state she was in was the damned monk's fault- what business did Chichiri have teaching Miaka dangerous techniques like that? So what if they had to find the other Seishi? It wasn't like Taiitsukun had given them a time limit or anything.

In the bandit's mind, the longer it took took to find everyone else, the longer he got to enjoy Miaka's company. It was selfish, he knew. But Tasuki just couldn't bring himself to care. He'd spent the last five years thinking he would never see Miaka again, despite the fact that he was desperately in love with her.

"You'll probably want to sit down somewhere, Tasuki," Chichiri suggested.

Tasuki nodded, scooping Miaka up into his arms—relishing the feel of having her form nestled to close to his—and settled them both on the end of the couch. Miaka made an eeping noise, her legs flailing a bit before she got more comfortable and relaxed against him, her legs slung over his thigh and her feet propped up on the cushion.

Smirking, Tasuki turned his gaze to Chichiri, who was watching them with an enigmatic smile.

"All right, no da. Tasuki, I've taught you how to meditate and focus your chi. Please do so right now."

The bandit had questions, but wisely stayed silent and complied with the monk's wishes. Relinquishing his hold on Miaka, he rested one hand on each of his thighs, and with an exhalation, he forced tension away as he closed his eyes in order to better concentrate.

Almost instantly, he felt his chi flare around him like a halo. The energy crackled along his skin, making him twitchy, as though he were readying for a fight.

"Good job Tasuki. Now focus the chi into your hands as you touch Miaka."

Tasuki's eyes opened in surprise. Touch Miaka? Wasn't having her in his lap enough contact?

He'd spent enough time on the road with the monk to know that Chichiri definitely wasn't as pure as the virgin snow. The man knew how to drink and how to take care of himself in a bar fight. He even knew a few dirty tricks that Tasuki had never seen before. Was he secretly a voyeur too?

As though he could hear Tasuki's thoughts, Chichiri returned the bandit's look of astonishment with a meaningful glare, and then stared pointedly at Miaka.

Right. This wasn't awkward at all, Tasuki thought. But he followed the non-verbal command and shifted position, turning Miaka slightly so her back rested against the arm of the couch, finding her hand and lacing his fingers with hers while putting his other hand on her knee.

Taking a deep breath, he focused on those two points of contact.

Even without Chichiri's instructions he would have known what to do—he could feel Miaka's chi, much weaker than it should be. Thready almost. Squeezing her fingers, Tasuki willed his energy into her bit by bit. The exchange tingled like a minor electric shock, making the both of them squirm uncomfortably at the feeling.

"Careful," Chichiri warned. "Give her too much and _you'll_ be the one passed out on the floor."

Tasuki blithely ignored the warning, resting his cheek against Miaka's forehead. Chichiri was just doing his job, but as far as he was concerned the monk should know that Tasuki never did things by halves.

The uncomfortable tingle had smoothed into a pulsing heat that flowed between them wherever they touched. Tasuki's eyes slid shut, his hand unconsciously sliding off Miaka's knee to her thigh, his thumb stroking her leg though her jeans. His other thumb stroked the back of her hand, the rough callouses catching lightly on her soft skin. He could feel her pulse quickening as the energy he poured into her took effect. She shifted restlessly in his lap, and Tasuki bit back a groan. Why had he thought it was a good idea to hold her in his lap while he did this? Her round little ass was right on top of him, and every small movement she made was an assault on his manhood. Literally!

Finally, he murmured in her ear, his voice coming out thick and gravelly. "Stop that Mi-chan, or I'm gonna be giving you a lot more energy than I intended."

To make his point he shifted his hips and pressed into her gently. Her soft gasp pleased him, even as it said his message had been received.

"Sorry," she whispered, admitting, "this—it's making me antsy."

"I think that's enough," Chichiri broke in. "Her energy level is back to where it should be, no da."

"Hn." Tasuki nodded, pulling back and glancing down at Miaka's face.

Big mistake.

Her cheeks were flushed to a rosy pink, whether from embarrassment or the extra chi or both he couldn't say. Her mouth had formed an 'o' of pleasure, and her eyes were shining with the kind of intensity that he'd never, ever seen directed at him.

Without thought, Tasuki claimed her lips. She squeaked in surprise as he firmly nudged her head back into the crook of his shoulder, giving him better access to her lips, then responded shyly.

Her chaste kiss only served to inflame his growing desire for his beloved priestess. Hands tightening on her body, he captured her bottom lip with a fang, giving a gentle bite and tug, while a low and playful growl escaped him. Miaka's response grew stronger, and he drew on her sweetness, feeling his chi, along with another physical part of him, begin to swell with pleasure.

"I said that's enough!" Chichiri barked, grabbing Tasuki by the shoulder and forcibly yanking him away from his feast.

Jolted out of his haze of passion, Tasuki spat, "What the _fuck_?" and glared up at his friend and brother Seishi. His anger was palpable. He wanted nothing more than to pummel the monk into the ground.

Miaka clung to him, frightened at the sudden tension between the two men but did not resist when Chichiri reached for her, swiftly pulling her to her feet to stand at his side as he addressed the angry bandit. "You idiot! You were _draining_ her!"

Tasuki snarled, ready for a fight until Chichiri's words finally struck home. "W-What?"

Chichiri regarded him coldly. "When I say it's enough you have to listen to me, no da. When you got excited you started _taking_ her chi rather than replenishing it. These techniques are extremely easy to misuse and if you don't listen to me one of you could end up _dead_!"

"Shit!" Eyes wide, Tasuki turned to Miaka, "Dammit, Miaka! Are you okay?"

She nodded, still too shocked to speak.

The monk spoke gently. "I'm sorry I had to be so rough, no da. But neither of you seemed to hear me."

"I-it's okay," Miaka said, then added, "I'm just a little… out of sorts." She grinned weakly at the both of them. "It's going to be a challenge dealing with all seven of you. So far just having the two of you touch me has put my chi in overdrive..." A deep blush stained her cheeks at her admission. "I'm sorry. That's not a complaint. I'm just not used to doing...any of this."

Chichiri cleared his throat meaningfully. "It's understandable, no da. This is going to be a learning process for everyone involved."

Placated by Chichiri's words and ashamed of his actions, Tasuki lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry, Mi-chan. I didn't mean to puch you into—"

"I know." Miaka didn't let him finish. "It's ok. We'll figure it all out eventually. Thank you for the chi. I needed that."

The bandit nodded slightly in acknowledgment. Being forgiven didn't change the fact that he'd put Miaka in danger because of his raging hormones and unwillingness to listen to Chichiri. Silently, Tasuki vowed that it would never happen again. He'd be the most disciplined damned Seishi ever if it meant protecting Miaka.

* * *

The awkward tension and silence was broken by the sound of the front door being unlocked.

"Good morning!" Keisuke chirped as he nudged the door open with his foot, careful not to drop the various bags in his arms.

"Keisuke!" Miaka didn't think she'd ever been so glad and so annoyed to see her brother at the same time. "I thought I was supposed to call you!" She glanced at the clock. "In ten minutes!"

"Yeah, but I thought I'd get an early start!" Her brother hefted the bags, carrying them into the kitchen. "I thought breakfast would help us get a good start to the day. Can't plan on an empty stomach now, can we?" He cast a dry look over his shoulder. "And we all know anything _you_ make is deadly."

"Keisuke!" Miaka hissed, but there was no real venom in her voice.

Nonchalantly, Keisuke chattered as he began unpacking the grocery bags. "So how did you guys sleep?"

"Very well, no da."

"I woke up to the most beautiful sight ever." Tasuki sent Miaka a sly glance.

Once again, Miaka's heart skipped a beat. Tasuki was flirting! And why was he telling her brother that? _Dammit, we're supposed to be keeping all that stuff on the down-low!_

Her brother, for his part, didn't get it. Instead, he strode over to the open curtains revealing the small balcony and the admittedly beautiful view of the city. "I know! Isn't the view from this window the best?"

Giggling, Miaka made her way to her brother to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, thankful for her brother's ignorance and the excuse to ignore Tasuki's smothered guffaws in the background. She did have a pretty spectacular view, especially in the mornings when the skyline was lit with the brilliant changing colors of the sunrise. The sky was just finally losing its final tinges of orange to the clear blue that seemed to set the mood for the rest of the day.

Throughout breakfast, Miaka made phone calls to Yui and Tetsuya, Tamahome, and Nuriko, who all planned to be over as soon as they could manage it. In the meantime, Keisuke decided to have his way with her two Seishi. He'd brought extra clothing in various sizes, making Miaka wonder just how many outfits her dear brother owned.

While her brother 'worked his magic' with Tasuki and Chichiri in the spare bedroom, the others began to show up. Miaka offered them what was left of the food Keisuke had brought while they waited, explaining that she'd already sent out a call this morning with Chichiri's help.

Tamahome raised an eyebrow at that, but made no comment as he seated himself on the couch. Miaka watched him out of the corner of her eye, keenly aware of the scent of his soap and taking in the sinuous grace of his movements.

Nuriko mused, "Well now that Miaka's sent out a call, all we can do is wait. Right?"

"Right." Miaka agreed, adding, "Just not here." At Nuriko's puzzled look she explained, "The call will hopefully bring them into range, but we'll still have to go out and look for them. It'd be silly to expect them to just show up on my doorstep."

The purple-haired Seishi made a sound of understanding, while idly running a hand through his hair. Miaka hated herself a little bit as she watched the soft tresses fall lazily back into place and wondered if his hair was still as soft as it looked. On their search for the other Seishi and, later, the first Shinzaho, Miaka had often played with Nuriko's hair; braiding it and brushing it out, and occasionally weaving flowers into the long tresses. At the time, it had been completely innocent, but now the thoughts running through Miaka's head were anything _but_ innocent.

"Well what should we do if we find one? Miaka got lucky with Nuriko just happening to be in the right place at the right time and jogging his memory, I don't think we'll get that lucky with everyone else." Tamahome noted.

"Try to talk to them. Find out something so we can find them again." Yui suggested. "Just try not to be creepy about it."

Nuriko nodded his agreement. "That's right. Yesterday I wasn't even planning on being in that area, but something made me decide to take a walk down that street. When I saw you, Miaka, I was drawn to you—even _before_ that billboard nearly killed you! After I pushed you out of the way it was like everything clicked into place and I remembered everything."

As he spoke, the purple-haired Seishi laid a friendly arm across Miaka's shoulders, gently bonking her forehead with his own, causing the Priestess to blush prettily and go cross-eyed for a moment.

Tamahome made a sound in his throat and looked away.

"So I guess this means we just have to hit the pavement and do some good old fashioned detective work." Tetsuya grinned, adjusting his sun-glasses for effect. "Yui and I will head over to the National Library and get a hold of the Universe of the Four Gods. You guys need it for the ceremony and we shouldn't take the chance of someone else getting a hold of it before then."

"And neither of us have seen most of your Seishi," Yui pointed out. "I think as the Priestess of Seiryuu I'd have some chance of recognizing a Suzaku chi, but I don't know what most of them look like."

"I'll lend you the picture I took, then." Miaka announced, quickly retrieving the photograph from her room. "The more eyes we have, the better, I think."

Yui took the photograph gently, tracing her fingers over the faces in the photograph for a moment before holding it up to compare Nuriko and Tamahome. "This will definitely help." She smiled fondly at Miaka. "Good thinking."

Beaming at the praise, Miaka hugged her friend and Tetsuya. "Thank you so much for agreeing to help. It really means a lot."

"No problem!" Tetsuya wrapped an arm around Yui protectively. "If Taiitsukun thinks that evil things might try to cross over one way or another I am all for preventing that anyway we can." He watched her quietly for a moment, his expression changing. "So how long are you going to hide this from your brother?" He finally asked.

Gaping, Miaka squeaked, "You know?"

Yui shifted nervously, unable to look her best friend in the eye. "I told him."

"Yui! You…you rat!" Miaka sputtered.

Tetsuya held up a hand in an attempt to calm her. "Yui told me because she feels like you're being forced into doing this to protect her." His voice was low as he glanced down the hallway to ensure that his best friend was not within earshot. "I won't say anything to Keisuke because it's not my place. But eventually he's going to find out," he warned.

"Not if I can help it!" Miaka declared. "He'll totally freak out!"

"Most likely." Tetsuya admitted. "You're not my sister, you're my friend and I gotta say I'm not crazy about the idea! But I'll do whatever it takes to keep your secret. This isn't something he needs to know about."

"That's the other reason we want to get hold of the book," Yui added. "We don't know if it's recording events and if it is we'll need to hide it from Keisuke."

Miaka hid her scarlet face in her hands, groaning at the idea of her sexual exploits being recorded in the Universe of the Four Gods. "Thank you," she managed, her voice muffled by her hands.

Clearing his throat loudly, Tamahome changed the subject. "So where should we start?"

Nuriko snagged the abused looking phonebook from the counter, opening it to the section where it included several maps of the city. He thumbed through it until he found the page pertaining to Miaka's apartment. "See this?" He pointed to the convenient grid marks on the page. "We can cover the area one section at a time, faster if we split up. If Miaka's call worked, then hopefully they'll be drawn to this area."

Tetsuya hummed in agreement, running his finger over the map as he considered Nuriko's plan. Finally he pointed to four different sections. "Right. So if we go in small groups we can cover these areas by mid-afternoon and then grab a late lunch. Swap info and continue."

"Sounds like a plan." Yui grinned. "Who's going with who then?"

"Tasuki and Chichiri will need to go with someone no matter what because they don't know their way around. Yui and I are headed to the library to retrieve the book, so that leaves one more group of three." Tetsuya counted on his fingers, eyeing Miaka and her two Seishi.

Miaka smiled to herself as she glanced down the hallway towards the guest room. "Keisuke can take Tasuki and Chichiri around. I'm sure he'd love the opportunity to show off his 'art work.'" She rested a finger against her lips thoughtfully. "He also knows a lot of fun places so it might be nice for them to get to see a little of the city while they search since they didn't really get a chance the last time they were here."

"Didn't get a chance to do what?" Tasuki asked.

Without turning around, Miaka answered, "To see the city, of course" She laughed. "I promise, it's much nicer when it's not being blown up!"

She turned to face her Seishi, and anything else she might've planned on saying evaporated.

Her brother had definitely missed his calling.

Tasuki was dressed in a pair of tight dark washed jeans, a snug white t-shirt with the English word Outlaw printed across it in bold typeface, and a dark blue jacket trimmed with black. He was still wearing his jewelry and boots, and Miaka was amazed to see how well his signature look translated to modern clothes.

Keisuke had dressed Chichiri in a nice pair of khakis, a dark gray v-necked sweater over a white button down, and loafers. While Tasuki exuded bad boy charm, Chichiri looked like the hot professor that might moonlight as an archaeologist with a battered fedora on the weekends.

Nuriko let out a long low whistle of appreciation that had both men blushing despite themselves.

Sharing a devious grin, Yui and Miaka hurried over to get a better look, followed closely by Nuriko. The two Seishi submitted to the curious perusal, their faces stained slightly pink as the three circled them slowly, taking in their new looks and making no attempt to hide their admiration.

"So…. We look okay?" Asked Tasuki, clearing his throat nervously.

Miaka and Yui exchanged incredulous glances. "You look great." Yui said, grinning while Miaka nodded emphatically, horrified to realize that her hands seemed to be exploring her brother's handiwork of their own accord. In an attempt to make it appear as though she hadn't just been practically folding the two of them on front of, well, _everyone_, she made it a point to smooth Tasuki's jacket and straighten Chichiri's shirt lapels. She giggled when she saw Yui shake her head, as though snapping herself out of a reverie, pulling her own hand back from Chichiri's arm as though she'd been burned and shooting a guilty look in Tetsuya's direction. Thankfully her boyfriend hadn't seemed to notice and Yui backed up a step or two.

Miaka's eyes continued to rove over the two of them, fascinated with the way the lines of the clothing Keisuke had selected hugged their bodies—somehow managing to accentuate their obvious masculinity without being overly obvious about it.

"Keisuke did this?" Nuriko cried. "Why doesn't he work for me?"

He leaned closer to Tasuki, hand poised to touch the jeweled necklace he wore. Deftly swatting Nuriko's hand away, Tasuki turned his attention towards the task at hand. "So what's the plan for finding the others anyway?"

Tetsuya and Yui filled them in while Miaka listened with half an ear. She couldn't wait to have all seven of her Seishi with her again, but she was kind of looking forward to being able to spend the rest of the day with Tamahome and Nuriko. She'd known that spending time with Tasuki could be exhausting simply because the bandit had so much energy and had been counting on Chichiri to be a sort of calming force. However, the monk had surprised her by being just as intense as Tasuki when it came to his feelings and his sexuality.

When she started paying attention again, Nuriko and Tasuki were locked in a serious debate.

"Whaddya mean I can't take my tessen?" Wailed Tasuki.

"The things made out of solid diamond. Someone will think you stole it!" Nuriko pointed out irately.

Stubbornly, Tasuki clung to his fan, scowling at the idea of leaving it behind. After a moment he relented, setting it gently against the living room wall with a heavy sigh.

Finally, everything was settled and they made their way downstairs, preparing to set out.

"Keisuke, you take good care of them!" Miaka ordered. "And be careful, Yui!" With a few last encouraging looks and words, the three groups separated.

* * *

Tamahome sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets as he watched Miaka and Nuriko chatting away like a pair of hyperactive squirrels. The two had been giggling at one thing or another all morning and for the life of him, Tamahome couldn't figure out what was so damned funny even if they explained it to him. Suzaku help him, they were such _girls_. His lips turned up in a slight smile at the thought, it was almost as if nothing had changed at all.

Except that every now and then, Tamahome could see Nuriko watching her quietly. The look in his eyes reminded Tamahome of that night in Hokkan when Nuriko had confessed his feelings for Miaka. And he seemed to keep finding reasons to touch Miaka. More than usual. Or, maybe it was just _different_ than usual. Miaka and Nuriko had always been touchy feely with each other and he'd never paid it any mind because Nuriko was gay!

But now…

Now, that friendly arm slung around Miaka's shoulder, or the hand on her head, or the occasional hand hold… all of it meant something completely different!

Or maybe he was just reading too much into it.

_Just chill, Tamahome. Remember what Chichiri said. The quickest way to kill love is to behave with jealousy._

It was easy to recall the words, but very difficult to try and change his thought process.

Eventually, Miaka ducked into a bathroom and Tamahome found himself being forcibly dragged several feet away from the door of the ladies room by the smaller man.

"All right Tamahome, what's your problem?" Nuriko demanded.

"Problem?" Tamahome attempted to school his face into an innocent expression.

"Don't pretend everything's fine. You've been giving me dirty looks all day." Nuriko crossed his arms and tapped a foot impatiently. "I'm not an idiot."

Knowing that it would do no good to try and lie, Tamahome closed his eyes with a sigh and relented, "Do you remember that time in Hokkan, right before you died?" Amethyst eyes met violet ones seriously. "When you said you had no intentions of taking Miaka away from me?"

A flicker of remembrance shone in Nuriko's eyes before he lowered them with a look of resignation. "So that's what this is about." He let out a breath before drawing himself up to his full height, keeping his voice even.

"I'm not taking her away from you. She's not a piece of candy or a toy." His chin lifted as he reminded Tamahome, "Besides,you heard Chichiri—Miaka has enough room in her heart for all of us!" A pained expression crossed Nuriko's face. "And it's a requirement to summon Suzaku, so it's not as if we really have a choice in the matter..." He looked down, suddenly very interested in his shoes. "Whatever the rest of us end up having with Miaka, it doesn't diminish the feelings you two have for each other, or replace them in any way. Why don't you understand that?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Tamahome murmured, "What if… what if she decides she likes one of you better?"

A sharp look of surprise crossed Nuriko's face, which was quickly hidden behind a mask of smug arrogance. "Haha. Well when faced with competition like me and Hotohori I can see why you're worried!"

"Nuriko!" Tamahome glowered. "You're not helping!"

"I'm kidding!" Nuriko soothed, still choking back laughter at his own joke. "But seriously, Miaka's not the type to play favorites. Not like that. If we're gonna do this, it's not gonna happen until Miaka is comfortable with all of us. And for Miaka that means love. Miaka loves with her whole heart in everything she does. You have nothing to worry about. Miaka's always loved you."

The sound of the ladies room door alerted the two men to Miaka's return, and they fell silent on the topic. Quietly, Tamahome whispered, "Thanks Nuriko."

* * *

"Wow! I say if we have time later we should hit up some of these bars!" Tasuki exclaimed as Keisuke led him and Chichiri about. They'd been searching for quite a while for their fellow Seishi and the only things they had to show for it was a list of bars and restaurants they wanted to try. Which wasn't exactly a bad thing, it just wasn't what they'd set out to do.

Miaka's brother seemed to be having a blast showing them around, which made Tasuki happy. It generally didn't bode well for a relationship if there was trouble with family members, and Tasuki was pleased to find that he not only could get along with Miaka's brother, but that he genuinely liked the guy as well.

Although he had to say he wished he'd been able to go with Miaka. Maybe later they could all go out drinking? He smirked at the idea of taking Miaka out on the town and being able to show her off. Although, his smirk turned into a scowl in thinking that it might be a little hard to do with three other guys vying for her attention all at once.

Not for the first time, Tasuki found himself feeling resentment at the idea of the new summoning ceremony. While it gave him the opportunity to be with Miaka, and to have her love in a way in which he'd only been able to dream of, he had to be honest and admit that he wanted her all to himself. He clamped down on that thought harshly, trying to expel it from his consciousness, knowing this was the kind of thinking that could get him in big trouble.

Nuriko and Chichiri didn't seem to have too much of a problem with it, but he and Tamahome seemed to be cut from the same cloth on this issue. Neither of them wanted to share Miaka. Not even a little bit. Really, what kind of man would let six other guys have their way with his woman?

As if in reply, Miaka's teasing comment came to mind and he felt his face redden. On Mount Reikaku that kind of thing just didn't happen. Well, not unless a couple of the guys got _really_ trashed. But even then it wasn't exactly a regular occurrence.

And… Tasuki had been trying not to think about it, but he had to wonder what would happen after Suzaku was summoned. Was this just going to be a one-time thing and then he'd just have to try and forget it ever happened? He'd never be able to live with that. Once he had a taste of Miaka, he was certain that it would become a craving that he was never going to be able to quash.

The bandit was abruptly jolted out of his musings when he ran smack into the back of Chichiri.

"Dammit! What's the big idea?" He snapped, following Chichiri and Keisuke's gazes as the other two men stood frozen on the sidewalk.

"Would ya look at that?" Keisuke grinned.

"Well, na no da!" Chichiri's tone managed to straddle the line between amazed and amused.

Finally spotting that which captivated his two companions, Tasuki felt his lips curl into an amused smirk. "Well damn."

To be continued…

* * *

Ok so likes to screw up my page breaks and formatting. Grr.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Sorry this chapter also took a while to get out. I've been laid out by some pretty intense allergies as of late. I now understand those commercials talking about being lost in a fog… I always thought they were exaggerating. Apparently not.

Thanks to newcomer TheDarkKunoichi! Yeah, I know I probably rushed Miaka's feelings a wee bit in the beginning, I thought I'd given adequate preface in the first chapter or so… but maybe not quite enough? If I ever decide to redo parts of this that will definitely be something I try to fix. Glad you like it otherwise though!

And Stormlight! SO EXCITED to see you again! I am now reading a ton of fanfiction for a series I've never even seen. Your Biker Mice fic was that damn good. Now I'm scouring the internets for stuffs and I'm afraid to watch the show because it might not hold up to my now extremely high expectations.

You can all thank my roommate for finally pushing me to finish this chapter: Namely terrifying me by screaming "Give me the porn!" In a perfect imitation of Pinky Pie's voice.

**updated this morning because I somehow managed to gloss over an important detail and only realized it when I woke up. Hopefully not too many people were confused.

Art of Love

Chapter Six

"Really? Did you tell Miaka yet?"

While he was speaking, Tetsuya ran one hand through his hair and clutched his bulky cell phone with the other. Honestly! He and Yui had just finished obtaining the Universe of the Four Gods from the National Library and already Keisuke was asking for more! When would it stop? Not to mention Keisuke _still_ owed him money from the Pachinko slots!

What was more, he could practically see Yui's ears perking up with interest as she listened intently to his side of the conversation. "Later," he mouthed to her, turning away as he waited for Keisuke to finish his long winded diatribe.

"Even if I _can_ arrange something…That doesn't guarantee anything." He replied, scowling and falling silent for a moment as Keisuke responded. "Yeah. It's probably best not to get her hopes up until we know for sure. Roger that."

With that, Tetsuya hung up. His lips pursed in annoyance, he turned to find Yui standing frozen on the sidewalk with both hands clamped over her mouth.

"Yui?" Concern replaced annoyance, and he placed a gentle hand on the blonde's shoulder to get her attention. "What is it? What's up?"

Fear filled blue eyes fixed on his, Yui whispered a name that filled Tetsuya's heart with cold dread.

"Nakago."

* * *

Yui sighed as Tetsuya continued to fuss over her. "Really, Tetsuya, I'm fine." The three groups had reconvened for lunch, and now they were all crowded in a corner booth—Yui sandwiched between Miaka and Tetsuya.

"So the Seiryuu Seishi have been reborn as well?" Tamahome's eyes narrowed dangerously and he wrapped an arm protectively around Miaka, mirroring the way Tetsuya had slung his arm around Yui.

With a nod, Yui said, "He didn't seem to recognize me at all." Her brows furrowed as she stared into her water. "I'm not sure if I'm glad about that or not."

"May I ask why?" Miaka said, reaching out to rest a comforting hand on Yui's.

Yui looked away, feeling uncharacteristically timid. She'd thought about this many times in the past, and had even talked about it with Tetusya a time or two, but admitting it to Miaka was somehow different. "It's just that… your Seishi obviously had, I mean _have_, such strong feelings for you." The former Seiryuu Priestess let her gaze wander over each of the Seishi seated at the table. "I mean look at what you're all being asked to do because of it." She allowed herself a tiny inward smirk when they all reddened considerably, before she continued. "I spent so much time believing that Nakago cared about me. I just let him do everything for me because I thought that was how he showed he cared. But in the end, all my Seishi were loyal to him. Not me." She gripped Miaka's fingers lightly, and lowered her eyes. "Much of that is my fault. I never did anything to try and gather any of my Seishi myself or earn their loyalty."

"What about Suboshi?" Miaka suggested at once. "He was extremely loyal to you."

"He was the sole exception." Yui closed her eyes in remembrance. Suboshi had truly cared about her and she hadn't even seen fit to treat him as anything more than a means to an end. She sighed, wishing that she could somehow go back in time and punch herself in the face. "Miaka, you even won Amiboshi's loyalty. In the end, the only good thing I did was to give you the power to summon Suzaku."

"And you've more than redeemed yourself since then, Yui! You're my best friend and no one holds anything against you! Right guys?" Miaka asked, turning a meaningful gaze on her Seishi who immediately nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, everyone. That means a lot." Yui allowed herself a wry smile, speculating, "and maybe it's a good thing they don't remember me. None of my Seishi led easy, happy lives, perhaps they'll have a chance at normalcy in their new ones."

Keisuke nodded, but his eyes were shifting nervously around their surroundings. "Still. I don't like that those guys are walking around Tokyo the same as us. What if they regain their memories? Anything could happen."

There was a general murmur of agreement and Tetsuya's grip on Yui's shoulder tightened.

"Agreed!" Tamahome exclaimed. "No one goes anywhere alone, then. Safety in numbers. Especially Yui and Miaka!"

Hearing this, Yui felt a flash of indignation at being treated like a child; one quick glance at Miaka revealed the Priestess of Suzaku was just as unhappy with the sudden turn of events as she. Yui opened her mouth, resolved to issue a protest, only to have the Tetsuya's cell phone ringtone cut her off.

Hurriedly answering the summons, Tetsuya listened to the muffled chattering on the other end as the rest of the table's occupants continued their conversation in stilted but polite tones. After a moment, Tetsuya's smile grew wide. "Really? Thanks man!" He clicked the phone off, shoving the gigantic monster into his jacket pocket.

"Miaka, we've found Hotohori."

* * *

Miaka's heart gave several sharp thumps at Tetsuya's announcement, accompanied by a familiar hot rush of desire that reminded her of her earlier dream. She pushed the feelings away in favor of frantically firing questions at Tetsuya. "What? Where? When? _How_?" And, why hadn't he said anything earlier?

"We wanted to be absolutely sure before we told you." Tetsuya explained. His expression was apologetic as he continued, removing a slightly crumpled and folded up piece of paper from his pocket and sliding it across the table to her. "He's a singer. Goes by the name of Andy Wong.

"So you didn't actually see him?" Miaka's shoulders sagged as she unfolded the paper curiously.

Keisuke snorted, casting an amused glance at Tasuki and Chichiri. "Not exactly."

Her two surviving Seishi looked oddly... pained as she attempted to smooth the wrinkles from what turned out to be a flier as it lay face down on the table. Frowning, she flipped it over only to have her heart stutter to a halt.

The image of her second Seishi stared up at her seductively, familiar locks of chestnut brown hair falling about his perfect face as those astonishing golden eyes peered into her soul from the slightly abused piece of paper. Miaka felt her mouth suddenly go suspicious dry, finding herself unable to tear her gaze away as she let out a trembling, "Wow."

"Wow is right!" Cried Nuriko, leaning in for a better look. "Looking good, Your Higness!"

Chichiri and Tasuki shared an amused glance as Miaka tried to stifle a giggle. Apparently death and rebirth had no effect on Nuriko's attraction to the former Emperor.

Keisuke laughed at his little sisters reaction. "Now imagine that picture on the jumbo-tron," he said with glee. "It pretty much stopped traffic for a couple of blocks."

Miaka and Nuriko laughed. That sounded like Hotohori alright. He didn't even have to be there in person. Just an over-sized advertisement was enough to send Tokyo's female population into a catatonic state. How had she missed that?!

"That's not all!" Tasuki added, running fingers through his fiery hair in a gesture that implied he was still a little shaken up, even if his wide grin was nothing but amused. "It's one of those moving pictures! And His Highness is_-is..._!"

"Dancing." Finished Keisuke with a grin.

Miaka felt her eyes bug out as she imagined exactly what that might look like. No wonder he'd been stopping traffic.

Tamahome frowned, eyebrows knitting together as he stared intently at the flier."So how are we supposed to get anywhere close to him if he's this famous?"

"Good question." Tetsuya acknowledged, leaning back in his seat confidently. "He's giving a concert later this week. And I just managed to score us a couple of tickets!"

"Only two?" Despite being grateful for Tetsuya's help, Miaka couldn't keep her disappointment from showing on her face. How was she supposed to catch Hotohori's attention if there was only one Seishi with her? They, and their chi, would simply be lost in the crowd of thousands.

"Sorry, but that's all I could manage."

"Don't be sorry!" Miaka immediately scolded herself for seeming ungrateful. "You did what you could and I'm so thankful for that." She lowered her gaze. "I'm... just worried that two of us won't be strong enough to get his attention."

"There's got to be a way." Keisuke stroked his chin in thought. "Any ideas, Chichiri?"

Nodding at Keisuke, Chichiri said, "We'll want to raise your energy before you go, no da. Once you're there you can concentrate on drawing His Highness to you." He offered Miaka a smile when she looked up at him, which she shyly returned. "It'll be difficult because there will be so many people, but you can do it! Especially if one of us is there to help you. The rest of us will concentrate from the apartment."

"Right." Miaka's voice was filled with determination.

"Miaka is going," Nuriko announced blithely. "That's a no brainer." His gaze flicked back and forth across the table. "Who gets the second ticket?"

"Me! " Tasuki blurted. "I'm goin'!"

Silence followed his declaration, as the belligerent look on the redhead's face dared anyone to argue.

Finally, a frowning Tamahome spoke. "I believe I should be the one to go!"

"Too fucking bad, I called it first." Tasuki folded his arms across his chest. He tipped his head, meeting Tamahome's gaze boldly. "Besides, wasn't Hotohori your greatest rival for Miaka's heart? How do we know you won't sabotage our chances?"

Miaka felt her heart skip a beat and she gazed at Keisuke with trepidation. Would he catch on to the true meaning behind Tasuki's words? But to her relief, her brother wasn't showing any awareness of the situation other than resignation to just another argument between his sister's two most testosterone driven Seishi.

"What the hell are you saying?" Tamahome sputtered, looking around for someone to back him up. "That's ridiculous!"

"Well, you _have_ been acting pretty jealous lately, Tama-kins." Nuriko said quietly, looking up from his folded hands."It's a valid question."

The look he was giving Tamahome was oddly pointed, Miaka observed, but she couldn't discern the significance behind it.

"Summoning Suzaku takes precedent over any misgivings Hotohori and I may have had in the past!" Tamahome declared, as everyone else looked at him with skepticism. "I'm serious!"

Chichiri spoke up. "We'd like to believe you Tamahome, but this window of opportunity to get close to His Majesty is so small that even the barest hint of jealousy could distort the call. I'm sorry, but we just can't risk it."

Miaka fully expected Tamahome to continue to argue. Instead, her first Seishi took a deep breath, sighed, and then capitulated with a terse, "Fine!" He leaned back in his chair, his sulky gaze fixed somewhere off to the side. "I understand."

It was bewildering that Tamahome would give up so easily. Miaka noted that he shared a quick glance with Nuriko that had her wondering just what might have transpired between the two.

* * *

After lunch, the three groups separated once again to cover more ground. Unfortunately, the rest of the day was quite uneventful- at least as far as finding any new Seishi went. But Miaka had regained her positive outlook, as Tamahome and Nuriko had finally managed to return to a semblance of normal behavior. Tamahome no longer looked at his fellow Seishi with perpetual suspicion, and he found that he was much happier for it.

Currently, Miaka was tucked under his arm and snuggling into his side to ward off the slight chill that was beginning to permeate the air. Tamahome smiled at the sight of her happy countenance, and allowed himself a contented sigh.

Nuriko was right, of course. Miaka had always loved him, and she always would. Even if her feelings for the others evolved into something stronger, he had no need to worry about his place in her heart. He'd have to remember to thank his brother Seishi for verbally knocking some sense into him.

Nuriko was strolling alongside them, hands jammed in his pockets. Tamahome could see the slight quirk at the corners of his mouth as he pretended not to watch Miaka, and held back a chuckle. He supposed if he had to share Miaka with anyone, he was glad Nuriko was one of them. They'd grown close after traveling together for so many months, and Nuriko had even given him some pretty good advice when he could have just let Tamahome flounder about on his own. Even now, earlier today, Nuriko hadn't taken what could have been a major opportunity to undermine Tamahome's relationship with Miaka. Instead he'd tried to help strengthen it, and Tamahome would be forever grateful for that.

Now that they'd reached the apartment building, Miaka reluctantly detached herself to enter the security code for access. Once inside, Tamahome could sense traces of the life forces of his fellow Seishi somewhere above- inside Miaka's apartment already, no doubt.

He wondered if any of the others had had any luck or not, immediately pushing away the thought that he hoped they hadn't. That kind of thinking would only get him into trouble, dammit! But he couldn't be the only one having them, could he?

He glanced at Nuriko as they entered the elevator. Nuriko had practically written the book on jealousy when it came to Hotohori, so how could he be so calm about the concept of sharing Miaka? Unless maybe the former cross-dresser was just better at hiding it? After all, he'd dressed as a girl for eight years without getting caught. Obviously the man knew how to keep a secret!

"We're home!" Miaka called, flinging open the unlocked door to her apartment.

"What took you so long?" Yui teased, smoothing out the makeshift map created from torn out pages of the phonebook.

Miaka stuck out her tongue and playfully blew a raspberry at her friend. "Maybe we're just doing a more thorough job than the rest of you!"

"Ladies, ladies!" Tetsuya raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Let's not be rude!" He grinned, showing that he knew they were only playing, and then asked in a more serious tone, "So. Did we find anything?"

"Zip." Nuriko sighed, seating himself on the couch and leaning back into the soft cushions.

"Ziltch." Tamahome followed his brother Seishi's example and sat, leaving enough room for Miaka to sit between them if she so chose.

"Nada." Miaka finished, and eased herself into the space left between her two Seishi.

Tamahome made to put his arm around her, but stopped when he realized she'd leaned back and was resting her head on Nuriko's shoulder. There was that immediate flare of jealousy again, but he viciously tamped down on it, clearing his throat and diverting his attention to the map spread out on the coffee table. From here, he could see someone had highlighted the closest areas to the apartment on the map and scribbled several notes in nearly illegible handwriting in the corners. Yui was sitting cross-legged on the floor, her blue eyes boring holes into the map and coffee table. "Any ideas on where we might find the next Seishi?" He asked.

Startled, Yui looked up. "Not yet. Even though we've searched these quadrants today it's not as though we can just scratch them off a list or something. What if the next Seishi shows up tomorrow? Or the day after that? Or what if they walk into an area just as we leave it?"

"We'll figure something out, Yui. We always do." Keisuke soothed, a steady hand resting on her shoulder—a hand which he quickly removed after a pointed look from Tetsuya.

"We'll have to have Miaka send out another call, na no da."

Tamahome looked up to see both Chichiri and Tasuki emerge from the spare bedroom, both clothed in their normal Konan attire. He remembered how modern clothes had seemed so restrictive to him when he'd initially followed Miaka to Tokyo, and couldn't blame his fellow Seishi for wanting to wear something a little more familiar and comfortable now that they were home for the night. "Again?"

"Of course, no da." Chichiri gestured towards the map, indicating the highlighted area. "Based on Miaka's chi, if the Seishi are anywhere in this area they should be able to feel the call, but," he held up a finger, "that energy signature will fade over time, na no da. Usually within a day. Therefore Miaka will have to make a daily effort to renew the signal so that there's a better chance of one of them responding to it, no da."

"Isn't that gonna get kind of tiring for Miaka?" Keisuke asked, brotherly concern written across his face.

"That's not a problem," Nuriko piped up, patting Miaka's knee with one hand. "Chichiri is teaching us how to replenish her chi with our own. Just like we did before we sent her home that one time."

"Doesn't that decrease your own energy?" Yui asked, recalling the incident as clearly as though it'd been yesterday.

"Only for a little while, no da. Especially if each of us gives her a little, the effects aren't so drastic."

"And this time I'm not injured," Miaka added sagely.

Keisuke nodded. "It sounds like something that you five need to do on your own, without distractions." He glanced at the clock and sighed. "And it's getting late."

After looking to see for themselves, Yui and Tetsuya grudgingly agreed it was time to go. "We wouldn't want to distract you guys from reaching your goal. Right, Miaka?" Yui tossed the other girl a wink and a wicked grin at Tamahome, who couldn't keep himself from blushing at the insinuation.

"Whatever you say, Yui!" Miaka managed to keep a straight face as she ushered the three to the door. "You guys be safe! We'll see you later!"

* * *

Nuriko watched in amusement as Miaka practically shoved Tetsuya, Keisuke, and Yui out of the apartment. Although the Priestess managed to keep her emotions from showing on her face, her voice was higher than normal and her body language was totally off. Miaka was a spaz, but she wasn't _that_ bad. How her brother didn't know _something_ was going on was completely beyond him. If Kourin had ever acted like that, Nuriko was positive his older brother senses would be screaming at him.

Then again, maybe the fact that he'd even noticed any of that was because after eight years of cross-dressing, he was more attuned to her femininity than any of the others. Miaka's lovable oaf of a brother didn't seem to know anything about women, and he still seemed to hold all of Miaka's seishi in extremely high esteem, which meant that he didn't see any reason at all not to leave his sister in the care of four virile young men.

The purple haired Seishi sighed inwardly. Blind trust seemed to run rampant in the Yuuki family; it was exactly the same reason Miaka had gone out in the dark to search for a nonexistent earring.

The sound of Chichiri clearing his throat snapped Nuriko out of his thoughts just as Miaka returned to her spot between him and Tamahome.

"Now that all of us are alone for the first time…" Chichiri paused, glancing around the room to make sure he had everyones rapt attention before continuing with a seriousness that belied the magically smilling mask he wore, "...perhaps we should discuss the details of this new ceremony."

A cat-like expression settled on Nuriko's fine features; he knew the Monk had taken a vow of chastity during his training with Taiitsukun. "Yes, Chichiri, tell us. Just how _does_ it work?" He asked, in tones close to a purr.

Caught off guard, Chichiri faltered momentarily. "Ehhh…." Embarassment colored the Monk's tone as he shot Nuriko an unsmiling look.

Trying not to giggle, Miaka elbowed Nuriko and attempted to rephrase the question for Chichiri, "I think he means, does the scroll say anything specific?"

Visibly relieved at the less suggestive turn of phrase, Chichiri quickly regained his compsure. "What do you mean by specific, Priestess?"

"Well… Er… Yui..." Now Miaka was the one stumbling over her words and shifting uncomfortably.

Nuriko smirked, having an idea where this was going. He'd been wondering about it himself. Miaka, it seemed, couldn't seem to find the courage to spit it out, and when Nuriko was just about to take pity on her and ask the question himself, the words spilled from his Priestess's lips in such a rush that Chichiri was forced to ask her to repeat herself.

Cheeks flaming scarlet, Miaka took a breath and forced out the question again, this time so everyone could hear. "Yui made a good point and asked if we'd be doing this one at a time or… all together."

Silence.

Nuriko surveyed the room as discretely as possible, anxious to see his fellow Seishi's reactions. He certainly didn't mind the idea of multiples. He might even have had a couple of three-way fantasies starring Miaka, himself, and a certain Emperor. Especially after having caught sight of the several movie billboard that played snippets of Andy Wong's previous performances. Honestly, he was surprised there hadn't been more traffic accidents. Thoughts of what kind of lover each of his comrades might be had even crossed his curious mind.

Tasuki had blanched, looking as though he'd swallowed a bug—no surprise there. The bandit had always made it clear that while he wasn't overly fond of women, he was completely one hundred percent straight. And though he'd taken Miaka and Nuriko's teasing well the other night, he'd also made it clear he wasn't the type to share when it came to that sort of thing.

Tamahome, in stark contrast to Tasuki, had gone quite red and suddenly seemed extremely interested in the floor. Nuriko tried not to laugh, remembering all the things he'd done to Tamahome while the other Seishi had thought he was a woman. Though Nuriko had never done anything like _that_ to Tamahome, he'd certainly had quite a lot of fun teasing the man. Tamahome was, like Tasuki, definitely straight, and extremely unlikely to share. However, now Nuriko had a whole lot of ammo to tease his fellow Seishi with. He cackled inwardly-the thought nearly gave him goosebumps.

Chichiri, as always, was hard to read. The mask he wore concealed emotions with its banal expression, and so Nuriko had learned to rely heavily on body language with the Monk. While he appeared surprised at Miaka's question, and had gone completely silent just like everyone else, he hadn't even tensed up at the implications of Miaka's question. Though Nuriko did notice Chichiri's ears had turned a brilliant shade of red as he pulled out the scroll and read carefully.

After a moment, Chichiri's brows knit together as he summarized, "The ceremony is designed to take place over seven nights. Each night one warrior is to give their life force to the Priestess using Bou Chu Jutsu. Once the Priestess has coupled with all seven warriors she is to throw the universe of the four gods into the fire and call Suzaku."

_Seven Seishi, Seven Nights, _Nuriko thought. There was a trashy romance novel in there somewhere- if only he was a better writer! He did so love his romance novel collection, and he'd buy the shit out of a novel like that. Much better than that crappy 50 Shades or whatever it was called...

Chichiri was talking again, and Nuriko mentally slapped himself, determined to pay closer attention to the proceedings.

"Before that time comes, we've got to make absolutely sure we've got the basics down. If the flow of chi is disrupted, or one of you gets carried away the consequences could be disastrous."

Nuriko didn't miss the meaningful glance the monk spared for Tasuki, and his eyes widened. All right, just what had the Bandit done to warrant _that _look? Something must have happened this morning after Miaka sent out the call...

"Nuriko, let's start with you."

Surprised, Nuriko stumbled over his words, "Erm. Why don't you just demonstrate for us, Chichiri? You are the spiritual expert after all."

"Because someone has to be able to monitor what's going on during the exchange just in case things get out of control. None of you are ready for that, na no da."

"Oh. Okay. Got it." Sucking in a breath, Nuriko stood, grasped Miaka's hand and pulled her to her feet after him with far more confidence than he felt. Why had Chichiri picked him? Was he even ready for something like this? The only times he'd really focused his chi in the past had been when they'd needed brute strength or a huge outpouring of chi—did he have enough control to make sure he didn't accidently hurt Miaka?

"Good. Now have a seat right there."

They obeyed Chichiri's command, sitting cross-legged across from each other on the floor with hands on knees, so close that their knees touched and their fingers brushed against each other. Chichiri adjusted their posture gently, directing them both to relax and empty their minds and focus their chi.

Nuriko found that bringing his chi to bear was a simple task, as was focusing it into his hands. However, willing it into Miaka was another thing all together. The power roared to life within him, making his entire body tingle with the need to unleash the pent up energy.

"Go as slowly as you can, Nuriko. The more control you have over the flow of energy, the better."

Nuriko's eye twitched. "Easy for you to say. Didn't you take a vow of chastity or something?" He asked flippantly.

Chichiri's aura flared briefly with annoyance and Nuriko flinched at the clang of his Shakajou against the carpet, the rings jangling angrily as the Monk growled, "Focus!"

Perhaps he shouldn't antagonize the monk. Not when said monk seemed likely to thwap him upside the head with his staff.

Nuriko shut up and returned his attention to Miaka.

Peering through thick lashes, he could see Miaka surrounded by her very own halo of holy fire as she concentrated. Her aura shimmered faintly about her pale skin and, Nuriko discovered, was pleasantly warm. Lightly brushing her aura with his, he could sense her strength, far greater than that of a normal person and belying her tiny physical frame.

Shyly, she touched him back, sending electric tingles straight up his spine, and his eyes flew open in surprise. Miaka hadn't so much as batted an eyelash. Had he really reacted that strongly just to her aura? Good grief, this was going to get embarrassing, wasn't it?

Well, here goes nothing, he said to himself, and reached out to grasp Miaka's hands gently in his, marveling at how small and delicate she seemed compared to him as their auras merged. Nuriko gasped at the sensations roused by the contact. and it took far more will power than he was willing to admit to keep from allowing his energy to flood into her. The pathway was open and everything in him screamed for him to give her everything, right here, right now. He was hers, after all, and that was the way things were supposed to be.

_No. It's too soon. We're supposed to be doing this slowly. It's not time yet._

Across from him, he could hear Miaka inhale sharply as the first bout of new energy began to flow into her. Her own aura responded to the influx of power by pulsating warmly and causing Nuriko's body to tighten in response. Gritting his teeth, he once again held back the massive wave of energy that threatened to overwhelm his control. He knew their bond as Priestess and Seishi was strong, but that hadn't prepared him for the sudden urgency he felt to wrap himself around Miaka, body and soul.

Touching her this way, it seemed as though a part of him was coming home. His seishi energy wanted nothing more than to fill Miaka up and leave him completely spent, in more ways than one. And so, when the time arrived, he found he was more than glad when Chichiri told them to stop. If the exchange had gone on any longer, he was all too aware he would have done something he'd have regretted.

Opening his eyes, Nuriko saw Miaka watching him intently, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright from the surge of energy. He let out a breath, and managed to stand without drawing attention to what was turning out to be one of the most impressive hard-ons he'd ever had. And he'd barely done more than hold Miaka's hand! What in the world was going to happen when it came time to seal the deal?

Now it was Tamahome's turn, and Nuriko made himself comfortable on the couch—covertly snatching a pillow and placing it in his lap as he watched Tamahome assume the same cross-legged position across from Miaka. The two shifted bashfully as Chichiri walked them through the same process as he'd done with Miaka and Nuriko, and Nuriko couldn't help but watch them longingly. Something about their awkwardness with each other struck him as special; it was so clear that they wanted each other and were worried about pleasing each other.

Miaka was never nervous in that way around him.

Sure, she was comfortable enough with him on 'girl terms'… she always had been. Even after everyone had found out he was really a man, he'd been the one that would be assigned to guard Miaka while she bathed or sleep nearest to her or even share a room or bed because he was 'safe.' None of them had seen him as a man and therefore no one was nervous about what he might do, especially Miaka herself. There'd always been a huge differences between how he and Miaka interacted and how Miaka and Tamahome or Miaka and Tasuki or even Miaka and Chichiri interacted.

The realization troubled him. Would she be able to accept him as a man when it came time for them to perform their part in the ceremony? Would he be able to please her? What if he got too excited and accidentally hurt her? Unlike the others he had to worry about both his physical strength _and_ spiritual strength. Maybe the ceremony won't be as fun as he'd originally thought.

And what would happen afterwards? Would they all go back to life as usual and pretend nothing had ever happened? As confident as he was in Miaka and Tamahome's continued relationship, and in the fact that Miaka would always love him, Nuriko, as a friend, he wasn't at all sure if that would be enough for him after all was said and done.

Before his death, he'd only just begun to realize the depths of his feelings for his Priestess and now…he loved her even more. So much that he'd let her go if that was what she wanted.

He could only hope that she wouldn't want him to.

To Be Continued…

* * *

Thanks again to all of you lovelies for being so patient! Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Sorry this took so long guys! The back half of it kinda fought me a little bit. Not to mention I've got all sorts of craziness going on. I work two jobs as a nurse and do a writing group with several friends once a month. Been trying to get my original works in order as well as read and make suggestions and stuff for everyone else.

Next chapter might take a while too, due to the reasons mentions above and the fact I am going to LA this week. A few months ago I did an acting class type of thing and some of us got invited to go to a networking type of deal in LA. It's five days long and I am in full out panic mode right now. I have no idea if it will go good or bad or if I'm going to end up crying in the fetal position in front of 200 or so agents. Even if the acting part doesn't work out, my hope is to get an agent to be interested in working with me and my writing. Although if I happen to land a part on something that'd be cool too! I've been very quiet about the whole thing because I didn't want to jinx myself or whatever, but if you could all spare a minute or two to pray or perform a good luck dance or whatever happens to float your boat that would be awesome.

Once again: All the thanks to Kitty Lynne for beta-ing!

* * *

Art of Love

Chapter Seven

By Red Courage

Almost an entire week had passed without Miaka having any dreams. Each night she'd gone to bed, physically and mentally exhausted from the combination of trying to prepare for Spring term at school as well as working full time at the library. Added to that was the new stress of trying to locate her three missing Seishi, while Nuriko and/or Tamahome stopped by every night after they finished work to participate in Chichiri's training sessions and to help Miaka replenish her energy after sending out her nightly call to the others. Tasuki and Chichiri were a constant presence in her home, and while Miaka immensely enjoyed their company, it was fraying her last nerve to have them hovering around her _all the time_.

The situation seemed to be wearing on everyone, truth be told. She could sense that each of her warriors would prefer to have one on one time with her, but with the current state of schedules, that simply wasn't going to happen. The closest any of them had gotten to being alone together was during their short lived chi-exchanges.

And that was another thing- though spiritual in nature, those sessions never failed to leave her feeling hot and bothered. No matter how brief, the sensations of merging with each Seishi's chi was just enough to tease her to the point of aching; she loved and wanted to make love to each of them- so much it physically hurt. Being so close, knowing that nothing would happen, that they just couldn't be _alone_… well, it added up to everyone feeling frustrated and unfulfilled.

Except for Chichiri. The smiling monk was the only Seishi who had yet to share his chi with her.

At first, Miaka hadn't paid it any mind. He was the teacher and whatever time they had needed to be spent training the other Seishi how to exchange chi with her without any ill effects. He'd said as much, once or twice. But now… she was wondering if there wasn't more to it. Ever since the first time she'd sent out the call for her missing Seishi and then passed out, it had become clear that Chichiri was avoiding touching her unless the action was strictly necessary.

The idea that he was pulling away from her during such an important time really bothered her. Unfortunately, she hadn't had any time to seek a resolution. Each night this week she'd headed to bed early to make sure she had enough energy to get through the next day, and each day she'd awakened with the grateful realization that her sleep had been blissfully undisturbed.

Until tonight.

Her lover from her last dream was back and, it seemed, anxious to finish what he'd started.

_She didn't remember undressing, or any of what she was sure had been __pleasurably __tortuous foreplay—but t__hat didn't matter. The start of the dream had her moaning uncontrollably __from the delicious waves of pleasure generated by her lover's rhythmic movements as he drove her further into the mattress.__She whimpered __and gasped, tossing her head back as generous lips caressed her neck and shoulder,__one hand raised __to rest at the back of his head, holding him in place to prolong the sensation. Her other hand began a slow trek down her lover's slick back, her nails n__o doubt leaving pressure marks from his shoulders __to just above his taut buttocks._

_Her lover didn't seem to mind, in fact, her actions seemed to spur him on. An impressive growl erupted from him, one she'd never heard from this gentle man before, as his thrusts increased in tempo causing her to squeak in surprise at the sudden forcefulness. How she recognized him as the same person was beyond her, but she knew him and she now faced with his unbridled desire she was not in the least bit frightened. On the contrary, every inch of her was undeniably turned on._

_Arms that had been planted on each side of her head shifted, sliding beneath her shoulders to hold her to him __as he moved with frantic purpose. He'd been tender a__lmost to the point of frustration, but now he was desperate and unrestrained._

_The new intensity of their love-making was glorious—the way his sleek well-muscled body moved above and within her left Miaka unable to silence her cries of passion. She gave up trying to match his pace, wrapping her arms and legs around him and allowing her lover full command of her body as he drove them towards completion._

_Burying her face in his sweaty shoulder and his tightening arms, she tensed as __the heat pooling inside her reached its peak, causing every muscle to coil and release simultaneously. Her back bowed, and her legs anchored him to her as __his hips pressed forward, and gave __several stuttering jerks._

_They lay still for several long moments, their breathing slowing in tandem. When she finally sought to get a good look at him__, he'd thwarted her by covering her __lips with his __and bestowing __the gentlest and most thorough of kisses. With a sigh he rested his forehead against her__s. H__er vision blurred, and his image shifted in the odd haze suddenly clouding the room__... _

_When the haze cleared, the man she clung to was broader and longer. Miaka's heart __skipped; she felt tiny under the body __pinning her to the bed._

_The lips that covered hers now were firmer, and as she responded to the kiss, she realized that the body pressed so tightly against hers was profoundly larger than her other dream lovers. His shoulders spanned what seemed twice that of the others, tapering to a trim waist that she still had her legs wrapped tightly around trapping his rather impressive member inside her to the hilt._

_Miaka…_

_Her name was groaned in a familiar, deep baritone as his body shuddered with reaction to their intimate embrace. Despite the roughness in the voice, she could sense profound kindness and compassion as his lips caressed over hers again and again. Even though she was physically dwarfed by her new lover, she knew she had nothing to fear._

_Dropping her feet to the bed, Miaka rolled her hips, moaning into his mouth and loving the feeling of having this immense chiseled body covering hers. His kisses consumed her as he began to move with __languid strokes__, his hips undulating in a way that left her gripping his arms in desperation, s__ilently pleading __for __more speed, more force__._

_Her __lover would not be rushed. He was maddeningly methodical, ensuring that he caressed every inch of her with his massive calloused hands, intent on wringing every last cry of pleasure from her as he did so. Their love-making seemed __as if it would __last forever, slow and thorough, their bodies moving together in perfect sync. _

_Miaka began to pant between kisses. H__er overheated body tightened in pleasure once again and her lover finally sped up, one arm cradling her neck and the other wrapped securely about her waist as he lifted her to him with each __powerful __thrust._

_Her body gave in, thrumming hotly as her lover continued to move. Her cry of release, the clenching of her flesh finally proved too much for him and he gave a muted shout as he came, his body trembling beneath her hands,__his strong hips lunging with frenzied purpose __into her diminutive form as they rode out the rest of their climax._

* * *

_Hotohori. Mitsukake._

Miaka sat up with a sharp cry, clutching a hand to her chest and exclaiming, "It all makes sense!"

Premonitions! She hadn't just been having _dreams_… they'd been premonitions of which Seishi they were going to find next!

Miaka had come to the startling conclusion in the half wake-dream state of post coital bliss when she realized it had been almost an entire week since she'd had the last erotic dream. The _exact_ amount of time since she'd learned that Hotohori was in the area. And the day that the others had shown up… she'd dreamed of everyone who'd shown up! At the time, she hadn't been able to recognize them, but now that she knew… Miaka wanted to smack herself upside for not having realized it earlier. Though she'd had erotic dreams before, _these_ particular dreams were obviously so much more.

Heavy footsteps sounded and seconds later her bedroom door was unceremoniously thrown open to reveal a shirtless Tasuki bearing his Tessen, and an equally shirtless Chichiri brandishing his staff.

"What's going on? What's wrong?" Tasuki shouted, glancing about as though he expected enemies to pop out of Miaka's closet at any moment. The light she'd left on in the hallway cast his face into shadow, illuminating his hair like the halo of an avenging angel.

Realizing there was no imminent danger, Chichiri lowered his staff to place a placating hand on Tasuki's arm, forcing him to lower the tessen as well. "Miaka? Are you okay?" He asked with a frown, turning the bedroom light on and causing everyone to immediately squint.

"Didja have a bad dream, Mi-chan?" Tasuki's bright eyes assessed her carefully as he seated himself at the foot of her bed.

Miaka blinked at the sound of her name, as the memory of how many times her name had been called out in passion in the less than innocent dreams assailed her. Blushing, unable to look her Seishi in the eye, she pulled the blankets up higher around her in hopes of hiding her flushed body. _Suzaku,_ she thought, _don't let them figure out what I was dreaming about! I'll never live it down!_

"Uhm, yeah. It must have been a bad dream." She lied, brushing at her mussed hair. She scrunched her face up in her best confused expression, hoping that her two Seishi would fall for it. "I don't remember what it was about."

"You said something about it all making sense, na no da." Chichiri supplied helpfully.

"I did? Huh. I, uh, I don't know what that could possibly mean…"

Chichiri propped his Shakujou near the door. Seating himself on the unoccupied space on the right side of Miaka's bed, he watched her quietly. Something in his expression told Miaka he didn't believe her, but she was too stubborn to give up the ruse just yet.

"Come on Chiri, there's lots of things that have made Miaka yell like that—" A sly grin covered his face. "Mi-chan, you naughty girl! Were you dreamin' about doin' the nasty? " He cackled, pointing at her, and rocking back in delight as Miaka felt her cheeks burn with color. "You were! Ha! If it was with Little Ghost, it's no wonder if it scared ya!"

"Tasuki!" She hissed, swatting the flame-haired Seishi solidly on the shoulder. "That's not funny!"

The bandit straightened, trying to get himself under control. Despite his best efforts, several more guffaws escaped him and Miaka could do nothing but bury her red face in her comforter and hope for a black hole to open and swallow her up.

When things grew quiet, she mustered the courage to take a peek. Her Seishi were still there, Chichiri looking thoughtful and Tasuki now looking a little chagrined at his earlier behavior.

"Why are you guys still here?" She asked plaintively. "I'm fine. Can't you just go back to bed and we'll pretend that this never happened?"

"Sorry, Priestess, but we can't do that." Chichiri said, surprising her by reaching out to softly stroke her hair. "Whatever this dream was, it obviously has significant meaning. Why don't you tell us what happened?" He shot a warning look at Tasuki before continuing gently, "There's no need to be embarrassed."

"Sorry, Miaka. It was immature of me, actin' like the kid you met at Mount Reikaku." Tasuki said. Cheeks stained a faint pink, he flashed a wolfish grin. "But if you were dreamin' about what I _think_ you were dreamin' about, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to tease- yer a good girl, an innocent, and ya look real cute when you're all flustered. " He hung his head. "Still, it was a shitty thing t'do, an' I'm real sorry."

Miaka's blush deepened, and she nervously shifted her grip on the blankets. "It's okay. I mean, after what we've been asked to do to summon Suzaku I suppose I should get used to talking about this sort of thing, right?"

"That's a very healthy way to look at it, Priestess," Chichiri chimed in, nodding his agreement.

"So what was the dream about, exactly?" Tasuki prodded, looking up.

Miaka looked down. "Well...you were right. It was one of those really intense… s-sex dreams. I mean I suppose everyone has them to some extent, but I've been having these dreams a lot, lately. And they seem… for lack of a better term, _real. _Real,and yet… different."

"Different in what way?" Chichiri asked.

"Well, I started out with one partner and throughout the course of the… activities… the identity of the man I was with kept changing! I couldn't see faces, yet I had the strangest sense I knew them! I knew it was important that I know them...but no matter how hard I tried, I could never place who they were. Until now."

"So who were they?" Tasuki demanded.

Miaka swallowed, feeling the heat in her cheeks reach a temperature that should have caused her head to burst into flame. "Well, uh… actually…." She gripped the comforter, averting her eyes as she explained in a rush, "Itwasyouguys."

The silence in the room was deafening.

"You two and the rest of the Suzaku Seishi." She added, clarifying her statement.

She kept her eyes trained on a particularly loose string on her blue comforter as she waited for one or both of them to say something. Why weren't they saying anything? What must they think of her? How could she ever look either of them in the eye again? Especially Chichiri! The man was a monk for Suzaku's sake! The idea of his Priestess having erotic dreams was probably enough to send the poor man into heart failure!

And Tasuki! He must think she was no better than a cheap harlot at a brothel. And after he'd made it obvious how highly he thought of her virtuous nature! Wasn't that how she'd been raised after all? Good girls simply didn't _have_ those sorts of thoughts! How was she supposed to be a priestess of anything when she had such impure thoughts?

Determined to mend her Seishi's obviously shattered image of her, Miaka continued—forcing the words out slowly and distinctly in the hopes that they might save her reputation. "I realized just now that these aren't dreams, but premonitions fueled by my connection with you." She chanced a glance at her two silent Seishi to find them both staring at her intently and immediately looked away again, faltering over her next words. "I-I had the first dream the day the four of you showed up, and I had another the day we discovered where to find Hotohori. And… and today is the day we go to the concert!"

Tears pricked at Miaka's eyes as she waited for one of them to say something. Anything. Her face still burned, and she resigned herself to the fact that it would never be a normal color again.

She was just about to throw the comforter over her head and vow to never get out of bed again when a hand entered her field of vision.

"Miaka."

After gently gripping her chin and forcing her to look up, the hand brushed her bangs out of the way and dropped to rest warmly upon one of her own, which was still holding the comforter in a death grip.

Chichiri had taken his mask off, and his lone eye regarded her with fond sincerity.

"It's nothing that you need to be embarrassed about, no da. I think you may be right." He smiled at her and for the first time Miaka realized his eyes crinkled slightly at the edges, perhaps the one and only physical sign of his age. "I'd venture to say that we might not even have needed you to send out the chi signals… apparently your bond with us is so strong that you were calling to us even in your sleep. Or we were calling out to you."

Slightly mollified, Miaka released the comforter to flip her hand over and interlace her fingers with Chichiri's. "You really think so?"

Chichiri nodded solemnly. "I know so."

Miaka let out a huge sigh of relief. Somehow, having Chichiri's approval made everything better. Since he was a monk and all, it even felt as though she'd received Suzaku's blessing on the matter. If he didn't think that sort of thing made her dirty or a pervert, then it must be okay. Right?

Right.

Shyly, Miaka turned to look at Tasuki, who had remained suspiciously silent since her confession.

The bandit was still sitting less than three feet from her, his face drawn into an expression of naked longing. Once he realized she was looking at him, the look vanished, and he offered her a weak smile. "I'm not as good with the words as 'Chiri, but if you think I'm mad that yer dreamin' about me, you'd be very wrong."

His voice was unnaturally husky as he spoke. He met her eyes momentarily, and Miaka forgot to breathe. How could one look convey so much?

A gentle but insistent squeeze on her hand drew Miaka's attention back to Chichiri.

"Do you think we'll find Hotohori today then?"

The question effectively doused the warmth that had been spreading throughout Miaka's body. To be honest, she was grateful. It was far too early for that kind of thing and she very much doubted that either man was up for watching the other being romantic with her.

She nodded emphatically in response to the monk's query. "And Mitsukake."

* * *

Chichiri let out an uncharacteristically loud groan as he shut himself back into his room. There was no use in attempting to go back to bed. He was usually up by now anyway for his morning prayers and ritual, and it was good that he had that extra time. Awakening to Miaka's scream had completely thrown him.

He'd rolled out of bed and darted across the hallway at the muffled yelling coming from her room, nearly running into Tasuki in the process. He'd expected to find anything from a small spider to Nakago in his priestess's bedroom—he certainly hadn't expected to find that his innocent Priestess was having erotic dreams—premonitions—about himself and the other Seishi. Chichiri was eternally grateful that she had been unable to look up for as long as she had because his mask had immediately peeled itself off his face in response to her confession.

Miaka had dreamed about _him_?

And not just any dream. The kind of dream Chichiri himself was not allowed to have. Or wasn't _supposed_ to have. His life had been this way for the last eight years. Of course, just because he was a monk didn't mean he was perfect. It was a constant struggle trying to keep his thoughts chaste, especially when he spent so much time traveling with certain bandits.

But now…the rules were changing. He was going to be _required_ to have sex with his Priestess. A fact which had plagued him constantly over the past week.

It wasn't that he didn't _want_ to. No. He wanted to. He wanted to _a lot_. His reaction upon his arrival one week ago and those few precious moments alone in Miaka's bathroom was proof enough of his love, devotion, and desire for his Priestess. He wanted her. Perhaps more than he had ever wanted Kouran. A truth which caused him great shame, but one he could not deny.

His feelings were such that, for all his harping on Tamahome and Tasuki about control and suppressing feelings of jealousy, Chichiri was unsure if he was going to be able to control himself. It was one of the reasons he hadn't argued with Tasuki over who should get to accompany Miaka to the concert tonight.

It had been so long. Eight years. Eight really long years.

For the past week, he'd avoided participating in the chi sharing sessions. He'd played it off as concern for everyone else learning to master the art of controlling their chi, a half-truth the others had accepted without question. Chichiri sighed to himself, knowing that time was running short. If Miaka's premonition was correct, then after tonight they would only have Chiriko left to find and then…

With a violent shake of his head, Chichiri tried to banish the wicked thoughts from his mind, focusing instead on one of the many mantras he'd learned over the years. Unfortunately for the monk, the allure of green eyes and flaming locks of auburn hair was just too powerful. The way she'd looked huddled on her bed, with her hair in complete disarray had driven him to distraction. If it hadn't been for Tasuki, he might have entertained the thought of sliding beneath the covers so he could hold her the way she deserved to be held. And then…

Chichiri bit his tongue and chastised himself. _And then you would tuck her into bed like a goddamn gentleman and go back to your room!_

It was going to be a very long morning.

* * *

Tasuki wrinkled his nose at the scent of the various perfumes, sweat, and anticipation hanging thickly in the air. Miaka bounced excitedly in her seat, her eyes scanning the stage continuously, looking for any sign of her next reincarnated Seishi. Her small frame hummed with the barely contained energy she'd received just before coming to the concert. The flame-haired Seishi's senses were going wild with having her so close to him. If Hotohori didn't respond to this… then maybe they'd all be better off without him!

In an instant, Tasuki tamped down on that thought. Chichiri and Tetsuya had taken great pains to impress upon Tasuki just how important this was. Apparently this was the only chance Miaka would have to get even sort of close to Hotohori's reincarnate. There was absolutely no room for screw ups.

The lights dimmed suddenly and Tasuki wrapped an arm around Miaka protectively as the crowd suddenly screamed, leaping to their feet and pressing in on them, jostling for position. A moment later and lights began flashing and a sound like thunder reverberated throughout the room, nearly sending Tasuki into a panic. Seconds later the thunderous sound became recognizable as a drum beat and was joined by several other instruments.

_What the hell? __This __is __music?_

Tasuki scowled, hunching his shoulders to try and block out some of the sound without letting go of Miaka. The sound was absolutely deafening. _No offense to His Majesty, but __I'm stickin' __with __fuckin' mountain __folk music!_

He cast a dubious glance at Miaka; the loudness didn't seem to bother her at all. In fact, she seemed to enjoy it—she was jumping around with some of the other fans as Andy Wong finally made his appearance amidst the bright multi-colored lights and-fog? Where the hell did that come from? Was Hotohori some sort of wizard in this world?

Tasuki boggled at the strangeness of it all, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head as Hotohori's reincarnation strutted across the stage with the sort of swagger that would have made any bandit proud. The walk of a cultured and well-bred Emperor it was not. And...

Holy shit! The redheaded seishi closed his eyes as Andy moved his hips in a most suggestive way, and then opened them again in time to see the singer pulling his shirt up to reveal some royally chiseled abs.

He really did not need to see that! And the bandit had the distinct feeling that if Hotohori could see himself now he would be mortally embarrassed.

_There's no way he'll see us, _Tasuki thought. There were too many people. They were too far back. There was no fuckin' way Andy would ever be able to pick the two of them out of the massive crowd.

"Remember what Chichiri said: Focus!" Miaka reminded him, bowing her head and clenching her eyes in concentration.

As Tasuki focused his Chi, he could see the powerful life force that now surrounded his Priestess. Her small body was filling with so much energy, he was surprised the other attendees hadn't noticed her glowing like a damn firefly...but in the same moment, he realized that he could only see the red glow because he was a Suzaku warrior.

Could Andy see it?

Miaka finally released the energy, murmuring a quiet "Please" as the power was sent out.

Tasuki gasped, as he always did whenever she sent out the call. The feeling was similar to his heart skipping a beat, the sensation traveling all the way to the tips of his fingers and toes and accompanied by a strong feeling of deja vu. Automatically, he reached out to support Miaka as she sagged bonelessly against his chest. As before, the process had taken a lot out of her and now she looked as though she were ready to fall into a deep sleep.

Blinking blearily, Miaka gripped his shirt in her fist, clearly determined to do everything she could to make sure Andy noticed them. Since everyone was on their feet, it'd be impossible for Andy to see her if she sat down. The bandit shifted his grip, propping her against him and encircling her waist with his arm.

"Thank you, Tasuki." She murmured. She was incredibly tense as she waited for a sign, any sign that Andy would respond to her call.

Andy seemed to stumble suddenly, his gait faltering for only a moment, but long enough for Tasuki to know that he had felt Miaka's call. Andy recovered gracefully, continuing to sing and move to the beat, but Tasuki could see the searching look in the other man's eyes as his gaze roved over the audience.

_It's working!_Or seemed to be.

Andy scanned the crowd, periodically focusing intently on various audience members as the song drew to a close. Tasuki felt himself tense as Andy's gaze came closer and closer to landing on them. Instinctively focusing, he tried to call out to his brother Seishi, allowing his Chi to flare around both him and Miaka.

There was a slight shift in Andy's expression as his gaze drifted closer and closer to Tasuki and Miaka… before sliding right over them without any hint of recognition at all.

Beside him, Miaka went rigid, her grip tightening on his shirt. "No! Hotohori!" She was yelling, almost screaming, but her voice was immediately swallowed by the din of the concert audience.

"He didn't see us." Tasuki's words were listless. How could he have not seen them? They were right there! Right in front of him! Tasuki had even tried to help by signaling with his own Chi in addition to Miaka's!

Unless…

Chichiri had said that the procedure was extremely delicate, and that any sort of jealousy or anger could fuck things up. Had he managed to fuck things up? Even though he'd just been trying to help? Suzaku knows he wasn't thrilled with the new summoning arrangement, but he sure as hell wouldn't subconsciously ruin their chances of finding another Seishi!

Would he?

And so Tasuki mentally beat himself up for the rest of the concert, desperately hoping for the moment when Andy would turn, look at them and finally recognize Miaka.

Unfortunately, that moment never came.

* * *

Now that they were heading back to Miaka's apartment, Tasuki was becoming increasingly despondent. After a lot of music and thinking that made his head hurt, he was sure that the reason they were heading back without another Seishi was entirely his fault.

"I can't believe he didn't see us." Miaka sighed, shoving her hands in her pockets as she walked. She'd managed to recover enough energy to at least walk by herself, though Tasuki insisted on walking close enough to her that he could grab her if she stumbled. "I could swear he felt us, I really thought we'd gotten to him, but..." She sighed again.

It was now or never. He had to tell her he'd been the one to fuck it up. He couldn't stand seeing her so sad. "It's my fault. I'm sorry, Miaka."

Big green eyes looked up at him in confusion. "What are you talking about, Tasuki?"

"I'm the reason Andy didn't respond to yer call the way he should have." Tasuki had to force the words out, each syllable feeling as though it were made of lead.

"Why would you think that?" Miaka asked with an indignant air. "Your chi was...amazing...it gave me everything you had!" She blushed a little as she spoke, but her gaze was warm and steady.

They had stopped at a crosswalk and Tasuki reached out to gently run a finger over the curve of her cheek, enjoying the slight catch of her breath, and the darkening of her eyes as he did so.

"I gotta admit… it's because...I think there's a part of me that didn't want him to find us." His voice came out in a low growl, his face drifting closer to hers as he spoke. "I'm just as bad as Tama. I want ya all to myself."

His hand cupped her face as he swept in to punctuate his words with a kiss. He swallowed her surprised mewl, greedily taking her breath into him as he relished the feel of her lips beneath his.

Miaka allowed him this liberty for a moment, but all too soon she was pulling away. "Tasuki…." She fell silent for a moment, staring hard at the sidewalk. "This has to be so hard on all of you. It's not fair." She looked up. Her face was pale, her lips were trembling and her eyes filled as she valiantly fought her tears and he was cut to the quick. "I'm working on it. I love all of you. But the idea of loving you all, like that…is just… a little overwhelming. I don't know if I can handle it."

"Aw damn, Miaka. I didn't mean to… I'm sorry." He raked his hand through his hair in a fit of self-deprecating ire. _I'm an asshole. I made her cry._He couldn't meet her eyes, afraid of what he might see. "I'm really a selfish bastard. Here I am, just thinkin' of not wanting to share ya, and you hafta worry about us all…"

When he finally scraped up the nerve to look her in the eyes, he only found understanding and adoration. He swallowed hard, then added gruffly, "Ya don't have to cry any more. I'm gonna- I mean, _we'll_ all help ya out. " His amber eyes glittered, reflecting the city lights as they waited for the crosswalk to turn. He took her small hand, cradled it in his large, calloused one. "What's supposed to happen will, and just how it's supposed to. Just like before." _Except this time is a helluva lot different. This time we're gonna be lovers... _

"Thanks Tasuki. You always make me feel better about everything." Miaka smiled up at him, giving his hand a squeeze in preparation for stepping into the street as the light changed.

Tasuki couldn't help but grin as she continued to hold his hand as they stepped out into the street, following him as he led the way, his arm extended behind him. He felt better that he could still make her smile. And maybe they hadn't been able to get close to Hotohori's reincarnation, but at least they knew he existed. Suzaku wouldn't let them down. He would make sure the Suzaku Seven were reunited at last. And then...

His thoughts were disrupted by a terrible screeching that filled his ears. Heart in his throat, he looked around in a panic, trying to figure out what in the world could make such a sound.

The sound blared again, and then he saw a sleek black shape come careening around the corner, a metal monster with lights for eyes, swerving and heading straight for Miaka.

To Be Continued…

* * *

AN: Thanks again for everyone who's reviewed! Welcome to newcomers Valyemma, Ayriel, and Puffgirl1952!

Ayriel's reviews made me giggle the entire time I was at work. In answer to your questions: Bou Chuu Jutsu is mentioned in the manga and the anime. False Taiitsukun/Tomo convinces Miaka that she could use it to lower Nakago's chi and defeat him. Nakago and Soi also use it frequently to help him heal faster and whatnot. That, plus the idea that the Pristesses virginity was so important kind of spawned this fic. After she nearly gets raped for like the third time in less than 8 episodes I just had the random thought "Hey wouldn't it be interesting if the Seishi all had to sleep with Miaka instead of her having to be a virgin? That really would change a lot of things" and thus this fic was born. Decided on reincarnation because I don't want to deal with the mess that would be the anime were that the case. Can you imagine how dark that could get? Especially with Nakago in the mix? And Amiboshi as a spy? Although that could get pretty interesting…. Lol I am glad I am not alone in my perverted thoughts and that everyone is excited to see those end up in written form. *grin* But now the idea of Tamahome throat punching everyone just won't go away.


End file.
